Xibalba 64 throws you headfirst into an eerie, low-poly dive down into the depths of Mayan underworld without dragging you through endless tutorials or exposition dumps. You play as a silent, nameless warrior cutting through a sprawling maze where ancient mythology crashes headlong into cold, yet high-tech industrial installations. Forget lengthy cutscenes or chatty NPCs; the storytelling here relies almost entirely on rich environmental cues and cryptic chapter text that let the shadowy ruins tell their own story.
The world-building pulls off a wild mix of Central American folklore, supernatural dread, and stark sci-fi machinery. One minute you are trekking through suffocating catacombs and tangled jungle corridors, and the next you are blasting through sterile laboratory bases overrun by ancient evil. It completely nails the classic vibe of ’90s PC and console shooters, relying on pure mood and intrigue to keep your boots moving forward.
There is a real charm to its old-school manual-style narrative. You are an uninvited guest fighting for your life in the depths of Xibalba, judged by shadowy, ancient forces as you annihilate wave after wave of demonic goons. It feeds you just enough mystery to make every new stone temple chamber or metallic hallway feel like a deliberate step into terrifying uncharted territory.
At its core, Xibalba 64 is a high-octane, run-and-gun boomer shooter that captures the golden era of games like Quake and Doom. Movement is blindingly fast, forcing you to constantly circle-strafe, leap past traps, and stay aggressive. The stages are constructed as tight, labyrinthine mazes packed with hidden walls, color-coded keycards, and vicious ambushes that demand quick twitch reflexes.
Your arsenal packs serious heat, giving you everything from trusty double-barreled shotguns to heavy explosives tailor-made for clearing out rooms full of cybernetic monstrosities and mythological beasts. Fights are fast, loud, and relentless, forcing you to prioritize high-value targets and hoard ammo on the fly. Best of all, it bundles in local two-player co-op and full four-player split-screen deathmatch modes, bringing back those chaotic late-night N64 couch sessions!
What makes the gameplay so good is its complete refusal to compromise on pure FPS action. You won’t find tedious skill trees, weapon crafting, or micro-transactions anywhere in sight; just raw aiming skill, health pickups, and secret hunting. With no hand-holding minimap in sight, you actually have to pay attention and navigate these deadly hallways yourself.
Visually, playing Xibalba 64 on the ModRetro M64 feels like taking a step back into the 90’s. The game showcases chunky geometry, low-res textures, and sharp pixelated sprites that pop on screen. The visual contrast between vibrant green jungle foliage, ancient stone ruins, and glowing cybernetic terminals gives every area explored a distinct, memorable personality.
Gloomy, shadowy caverns, bubbling lava pits, and harsh tech filled rooms are represented nicely on the M64. While Xibalba 64 can take full advantage of the M64 hardware to really make it pop, it still manages to look good running on the original Nintendo 64. Instead of feeling dated, the deliberate choice of making the game specifically for the Nintendo 64 is really one of the highlights of the game. By making it specifically for the hardware, the developer was able to get every ounce of graphical fidelity from the console and it shows.
When it comes to performance, the game plays better than expected on original hardware and on the M64. While some would expect this to be the case, I thought that there may be some slowdown due to the limitations of the N64 hardware or at least some performance differences between the N64 and M64 systems. But Xibalba 64 was really made with the console limitations in mind. While yes, you could technically get better performance from the game on the M64 through overclocking, you really don’t need to.
Xibalba 64 runs surprisingly buttery smooth on both platforms. This really goes to show that the developer really took their time to get to know the limitations of the hardware the game was being developed for.
The sound design in Xibalba 64 does a great job at building an atmospheric experience. The soundtrack skips non-stop heavy metal in favor of a dark, ambient score layered with ominous environmental sounds, heavy industrial drones, and tribal acoustic motifs. It builds incredible dread, making the quiet moments between firefights feel genuinely unsettling.
The weapon and impact sound effects carry a heavy, tactile punch. Shotguns blast with booming low-end bass, and environmental traps like sliding stone doors or hiss of vents sound delightfully physical. Spatial audio cues also make it easy to pinpoint incoming enemies sneaking up from around dark corners or high ledges.
Everything comes wrapped in authentic retro sound design. Audio samples carry that slight, satisfying compression typical of classic cartridge games, pulling off the illusion that you discovered a lost gem from 1998. It marries nostalgic audio textures with modern mixing so vital combat cues never get buried in the noise.
Xibalba 64 is a passionate, and rather spot on tribute to the classic era of 90s first-person shooters. By putting tight movement, eerie level design, and deeply satisfying gunplay front and center, it delivers an authentic retro thrill ride that feels genuine rather than cheap. It honors its iconic influences while polishing the performance to crisp modern standards; even on the original N64 hardware.
It delivers massive value for retro FPS fans and local multiplayer addicts alike. The combination of a mysterious, secret-filled campaign and chaotic split-screen deathmatch guarantees you will be taking trips into the Mayan underworld time and time again.
At the end of the day, Xibalba 64 triumphs because it remembers what made golden-era shooters so legendary: pure speed, heavy atmosphere, and unadulterated fun. This game is a game that truly surprised me in every aspect. If you’re a fan of 90’s shooters, this game is a game that you must pick up and play!
In addition to writing articles, Ryan Byers also creates content for his YouTube channel called "Obscure Games and Consoles", collects video games, and dabbles in video game development.