Outpost Kaloki X Review

By Kristan Reed Published 21 August, 2006

Well, reviews take a while to build too.

Version tested: Xbox 360

I'm looking at the release date on this. It says "November 22nd, 2005". Fortunately this is a game about balancing the needs of trade-hungry space-everymen against power consumption, and trying to squeeze out as much value as you can when you can - a soon-reached conclusion being that sometimes it's better to wait until the timing's on your side.

Although sometimes you do just forget, obviously.

Even nestling in the varied bounty of Xbox Live Arcade, Outpost Kaloki X stands out a light-year away. It's a simple empire-building game, effectively, where you take control of a succession of quirky trading outposts in space and build up a range of expansions - shops, labs and entertainment attractions for the most part - while trying to fulfil varied objectives.

Initially it looks a bit complex, with its three separate menu bars, various meters and ever-changing numbers - and the inclusion of a level-countdown doesn't exactly alleviate anxiety - but a sensibly constructed first few levels walk you through everything without confusing. The bar along the top shows you ships in the area, and is, with the exception of occasions when a dignitary or other vital character pops up with something to say, mostly for show, while the bar on the left is mostly game-menu options and, apart from a helpful current-objectives button, mostly ignorable.

The section on the right and the outpost in the centre of the screen are where you want to focus. Looking to the right shows you your present cash-total, the amount of power being consumed and the excess available, the countdown, and a list of the locals' current needs and how satisfied they are. The idea is to keep the outpost's capacity slightly ahead of the bright green that shows current usage. You do this by swinging the station in the centre of the screen around with the right analogue to take a look, and using the left analogue or d-pad to select one of its expansion bays, which can then be built up by hitting A and selecting from a list of options.

'Outpost Kaloki X' Screenshot easier

Building up your outpost is a lot easier than at first appears.

Adding to the difficulty are several things. A limited number of expansion ports available to build onto means that you need to be practical. As do the constant running costs of a facility with lots of expansions, which chip away at your cash-total and become quite problematic if you've built too fast too quickly. Fortunately you can scrap any port and build something else, or just leave it unoccupied, but you won't make back all the money you spent, obviously. Better to plan ahead.

Other issues present themselves gently and generally without the need to prompt the player. Maintenance is a pretty obvious one - everything degrades over time, so after a few levels you're introduced to another category of expansion that suits that job. The need to keep running costs low is best emphasised in an early story mission where you need to create a huge power surplus - gradually adding bigger power supplies moves you closer to this, but affects your bottom line, so it's better to build simple and quickly to satisfy the needs of passing ships and then blow the profits on a raft of power generators once you've hit a certain level. That satisfies your objectives and ends the level - it doesn't matter whether the whole thing's likely to nose-dive into the red once you've buggered off.

'Outpost Kaloki X' Screenshot repetition

Although there's quite a bit of repetition, there's a persistent challenge too - especially later on when the game figures it's got you for good.

Each of the several expansions you have at your disposal is available at several technological levels. First you have chemistry labs, for example, but then the game's insatiable scientific community need more, so you can opt for the stately observatory for your next upgrade. There's a rudimentary tech-tree behind all of this, with certain things, like the generator power station, only available once you've built other things like a hall of records. Others still, like the spy-radio facility, can only be built once you've built something and somebody's passed you the plans for it. This happens quite intuitively, and there are other mission-specific expansions to build once people supply you the information - usually in return for fulfilling one of the early mission objectives.

Although very simple, what's compelling about Kaloki (apart from the excellent light-jazz going on in the background and the Futurama styling) is that instead of being some hideously complex real-time strategy game or Civlization wannabe, it's more of a simple logic puzzle. It's the word-jumble of strategy games. Quirks are minor (like the fact it often tells you that you need so-many dollars, and you get them, only for it to tell you that you need so-much power too - why not point that out at the same time?) and tolerable.

'Outpost Kaloki X' Screenshot shark

It also features shark-controlled robots, if only in the menus. Which surely earns it another mark.

The only thing that really gets in the way is the repetitive cycle of unlocking the same things over and again. After a couple of handfuls of levels you'll probably tire of that, since you'll already know the unlock-structure and you'd prefer something new to worry about.

Persevere though and the game continues to entertain with tighter winning conditions and solutions that prove trickier to extract, forcing you to pay attention to more of the details - like the option to micromanage expansions by tweaking the way they work. In terms of length, you'll find a pair of single-player modes along with a host of scenarios, and with 12 achievements to hunt down, some gamer-pictures to unlock (like Cloning Clyde, Ninja Bee makes a good fist of unlockables here, even if the core gameplay can become rather monotonous) and free downloadable content, there's much to do.

It probably won't occupy you for more than a few evenings of play, but you'll enjoy them, and at 800 Microsoft points it's an affordable alternative to the full-price games your bank manager's probably worrying about and the other Live Arcade games. There's much better strategy fare on the PC, but even nine months later it's still flying solo through relatively unexplored space on Xbox 360 - and if you give it a few minutes you'll probably find that you want to give it a few hours.

8 / 10

Outpost Kaloki X is out now on Xbox Live Arcade, and costs 800 Microsoft points.

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Xerx3s #1 6 years ago

    Better late than never?

  • smelly #2 6 years ago

    What is it with all these xbla reviews and seemingly lack of full priced "proper" game reviews?

    Not slagging off the machine here, this is general interest. But is it me or is the 360 release list a bit fecking bare?

  • chupachups #3 6 years ago

    "Not slagging off the machine here, this is general interest. But is it me or is the 360 release list a bit fecking bare? "

    One very interesting scenario would be if things like Live Arcade started outselling conventional disc games. It would certainly make the industry re-think its priorities...

  • Ceatlan #4 6 years ago

    Smelly,

    Where are the full priced reviews for any console ?

    I think you'll find that it is releases in general that are a bit bare, not just the 360. I personally have taken this opportunity to buy a few games dirt cheap from the second hand shelves (Tomb Raider Legend and King Kong both for £15), that I either missed earlier or wasn't interested at for full price. Blindingly good fun for not much moola :-)


  • reality_cheque #5 6 years ago

    @smelly: Hate to say it mate but you're coming across a little troll-like here! Plenty of good stuff out and due out in proper game format. No better or worse than any other platform in it's first year of release, plus we're in the annual summer lull.

    This just happens to be one of the best games in the arcade imo, so it needs a review! I'd say 8 was pretty much bang on the money for this game.

  • smelly #6 6 years ago

    Wasnt trolling.

    I'd just kinda expect more games to have been released in the first year of a consoles life.

    Wondering what other people thought, obviously not the same as me.

  • reality_cheque #7 6 years ago

    @boabg: What size SD TV do you have? My 23" screen is fine for the text in this...

  • ccfb #8 6 years ago

    "It also features shark-controlled robots, if only in the menus. Which surely earns it another mark."

    I believe EG would do this.

  • Xerx3s #9 6 years ago

    I think smelly is a bit right. I mean, not that I feel like the lack of good games because i'm still chewing on stuff like prey but it seems like MS is hamstering all the good stuff for this xmas period (by currentday shop standards: everything after august ;) ). :\

  • reality_cheque #10 6 years ago

    @smelly: I'd like to be able to tell you exactly how many games are available for the 360, but as every site insists on showing you the list in a stupid format rather than just a plain simple list, you'll have to go look yourself if you care!

  • escapedape #11 6 years ago

    Having played through all of the story modes (including the very good value downloadable levels - some that you pay for and some that are free), I still immensely enjoy this game. Superb fun!

    I dread to think of the hours I've put into this...

  • Fatnick #12 6 years ago

    Smelly -

    Go and look at the release schedule at GAME/Gameplay. For a reason known only to themselves, the publishers have seemed to set it up so that after the best part of two months without anything, all of the 360's big games are released on either 1st or the 8th of September.

  • chupachups #13 6 years ago

    "Go and look at the release schedule at GAME/Gameplay. For a reason known only to themselves, the publishers have seemed to set it up so that after the best part of two months without anything, all of the 360's big games are released on either 1st or the 8th of September."

    A lot of retailers seem to think that summers are bad times to release new products, people are on holiday and don't concentrate as much on going to the shops, especially in World Cup years. A lot of people criticised Nintendo's summer launch for the DS Lite in Europe for these reasons.

  • dbeamish #14 6 years ago

    you lot must be well bored to be reviewing such old games. Its a cool game though. I enjoyed it but so far have failed to complete the final mission :-/
    Good extra free mission pack/s too plus ones to buy. I was impressed.

  • asphaltcowboy #15 6 years ago

    after the first few months of any console the release schedule slows dramatically, then picks up again when it come round towards Christmas...

  • Fatnick #16 6 years ago

    "A lot of retailers seem to think that summers are bad times to release new products, people are on holiday and don't concentrate as much on going to the shops, especially in World Cup years."

    I can see that logic, but quite frankly anything released now would probably have a much, much better chance at selling than if it was released next month. I think the likes of Capcom in particular have missed a trick by sitting on Dead Rising for a month.

  • Scientist #17 6 years ago

    "A lot of people criticised Nintendo's summer launch for the DS Lite in Europe for these reasons."

    But the DS Lite sold really well over summer. Plus handhelds and holidays are complementary.

  • Ceatlan #18 6 years ago

    Smelly,

    I think in general all consoles have a pretty slow first year. After the initial big batch of launch releases have been made (most of which have probably been rushed to market under pressure from the console manufacturer), its always at least another year before the supplies picks up again. This is down to the fact that most development teams don't get the final development kits until fairly near the launch, and with long development times it can't really be anything else. With a product that also includes a lot of new technology that requires almost complete retooling of development, and development times getting longer, its even less surprising and will likely only get worse as time goes by. Its also why you tend to get a lot of ports in the first year or so, dev studios haven't had anywhere near enough time to finish the real stuff.

    The mega drive suffered from this, so did the SNES, the PS1, the PS2 etc etc. All had pretty slow first years (in comparative terms) after the initial batch of launch titles had dried up.



  • kaosridder #19 6 years ago

    smelly - indeed it has been. But it makes sense doesn't it, considering that may, june, july arent exactly stellar months saleswise, when it comes to consoles.

  • chupachups #20 6 years ago

    "But the DS Lite sold really well over summer. Plus handhelds and holidays are complementary."

    I'm not necessarily defending retailers' fears, just explaining what they are. :)

    And I guess they would still defend themselves by saying that the DS Lite would have sold even better if it had launched in the Autumn.

  • smelly #21 6 years ago

    So, as SOME of you are agreeing with me (the others are agreeing with me, but are for some reason taking offence at what im saying).

    And as you're all in agreement that pretty much all consoles have poor number of games on first year (which actually i disagree with).

    Why then would anyone actually want to buy a console in it's first year of life?

    Hmm.. maybe this is best left for another time.. I had a huge rant planned here, but no doubt i'd just have a load of idiots mis-understand me and think im slagging off the 360. So i dont even know why im bothering with trying to have a discussion...

  • jozz #22 6 years ago

    o_O

    It's called the 'summer time'. I advise you look at this weeks, last weeks and probably the one before that too all format release schedule.

    Hardly any games are coming out across them all.

    Hijack over. Continue review comments.

  • smelly #23 6 years ago

    sigh.. i give up.

    The fanboyism in here really is off the scale.

    Some of the greatest games ever have been released on the XBOX, and there's still a lot of fantastic titles yet to be released.

    But remember kids, it's hip to hate the XBOX these days.

  • captainrentboy #24 6 years ago

    @Smelly..The reason I bought a 360 within it's first year of release was because I'm a big fan of console gaming and genuinely wanted to play a good few of the launch titles it had,(Although admittedly some of them slipped considerably more than expected)and I've also bought and throughly enjoyed quite a few other titles that have been released up until now,some that have only been available on the 360.And I'm guessing that's probably the reason quite a few others purchased one.That,or some people just really like owning the newest most powerful technology:/

  • Grim... #25 6 years ago

    It's as good as Halo, then?

  • glo #26 6 years ago

    and pacman...

  • Krun #27 6 years ago

    My only problem with this game is that the text is very very small. This may be because I play in HD. but it put off enough not to buy the full game.

  • kaosridder #28 6 years ago

    smelly - while I agree that it has been very few games that have come out in the past 3-4 months I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the 360-experience and never been without a stellar game. Just today I recieved Far Cry & King Kong. The games I have played so far are PDZ, Oblivion, PGR3, Condemned, Quake 4, GUN, Need for speed, COD2, Tomb Raider Legend, Tony Hawks & numerous arcade titles such as outpost kaloki, UNO, Geometry wars etc. All those I have really enjoyed, especially GUN. So I dont get why you keep on about this endless "there-are-no-games-grumblegrumble". Just because you are picky doesnt mean the rest of us have too, does it? Why do you keep on insisting tht we think like you? The solution is pretty straightforward btw. Dont buy a 360 if you dont like the games and let us who do think the lineup is great enjoy gaming. I dont see a problem in the line-up. There are still titles i'd like to play such as FN3 and many more coming out the coming months such as Dead Rising and Saints Row. To be honest I have played too much since I got my 360 7 months ago. I couldnt have played more even if I wanted too. Now do you understand why some of us purchased a 360 and how we actually enjoy our purchase?
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/06 @ 19:11

  • MasterThief #29 6 years ago

    I think Smelly is more of a troll than people realise. This isn't the first time that I've seen him spout this sort of nonsense, and I'm sure it won't be the last. To me, he is a stealth troll, and manages to display just enough 'impartiality' to avoid his mask slipping.

    In case you haven't noticed mate, most of these old Arcade reviews are for games that were out long ago. You know, the one's that EG weren't bothered reviewing at the time, because they had full-priced games on their plate. But now that the full-price releases are running dry at present, they're basically settling for sloppy seconds now.

    Think, before you engage your keyboard in future.

  • Lex_Luthor #30 6 years ago

    "I think Smelly is more of a troll than people realise."

    We finally agree on something MT. Though I don't find him as 'stealthy' as you do.

    Still isn't as bad as some of the arseholes you get around here though, it must be said.

  • TheBard #31 6 years ago

    To everybody who thinks the text is too small:

    You can change the text size in the options to unbelievable proportions. I bet this game would be perfectly playable on a 2 inch monitor on the highest setting.

    THIS is how Dead Rising should've done it. Fixed text sizes are so wrong...

  • fantabulo #32 6 years ago

    I'm with smelly on this one; you're all a bunch of inferior, idiotic sheep. :&

  • mingster #33 6 years ago

    Smelly is just a Smelly Troll.

    Go back under your bridge you stink.

  • ilmaestro #34 6 years ago

    Talking about the timing or holding back of any review will forever bring to mind the Chromehounds incident; please re-review it.

  • Helios #35 6 years ago

    Haven't read this whole topic, but why is everyone so quick to brand everyone who voices some kind of concern about a console a troll? Smelly has a good point, I've got a 360 and i've noticed a pretty small amount of 360 releases.

    There are obvious answers to his point but the brand people trolls so quickly is silly.

  • MasterThief #36 6 years ago

    You obviously never owned a PlayStation 2 between November 2000 and August 2001 then. And look at how that console turned out. Yes, Smelly was trolling.

  • miiiguel #37 6 years ago

    Just archived the comments on the lack on the alleged lack of titles for the 360, I'll then compare with the ones for the PS3...!

    i sometimes wish that 360 wans't so insanely great, 'cos my girlfriend is giving a hard time (read: "yellow card";)

    Be gentle with smelly, after all he has to look at that 7 years old machine every time he comes home.

    But I'm a bit intrigued, why people who write some clever stuff like "360 is doomed" come to check EVERY 360 review ?

    In my country we call it "dor de cotuvelo" (read: jealous)
    Edited by 3 at 23/08/06 @ 14:20

  • smelly #38 6 years ago

    *SIGH*

    FFS, I was merely pointing out that XBLA reviews are coming thick and fast as a sign of lack of other games.

    I.e. that's a good thing - as it gives you somehting to do during a game drought. Hell one of the reason im deffo getting a wii is as i know i can play retro games regardless of what's being released on the full console.


    But fuckign fanboys are so bloody blinkered that just the mere slightest whiff of someone saying something slightly bad about their machine is someone being a "troll"

    sigh.. quite sad really that you cant have a conversation about things for fear of upseting the fanboys - who miss the point of the discussion and start crying that someone as said something nasty about their poor machines.

    boo-fucking-hoo

    Sigh