Platform | Release Date
PS3, 360, PC | May 14, 2013
Developed by 4A Games
Published by Deep Silver

The Pitch:

Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, the remnants of mankind are besieged by deadly threats from outside – and within.

Mutants stalk the catacombs beneath the desolate surface, and hunt amidst the poisoned skies above. But rather than stand united, the station-cities of the Metro are locked in a struggle for the ultimate power, a doomsday device from the military vaults of D6. A civil war is stirring that could wipe humanity from the face of the earth forever.

As Artyom, burdened by guilt but driven by hope, you hold the key to our survival – the last light in our darkest hour…

If there’s something that the FPS genre is increasingly derided for, it’s developers’ over-reliance on funnelled design. From Call of Duty to Halo, it seems as though we are pushed into tighter and tighter spaces and given less control over the environment around us. Strange then that Metro 2033 never really had any of that criticism levied at it. It was, after all, a game about fighting in tunnels. Yet, in the case of this new sequel, Metro Last Light, the game is absolutely at its strongest when you’re confined to the underground.

The story picks up pretty much from where you left it, at least depending on your ending. In this version of events Artyom brought down a massive barrage of missiles, apparently wiping out the mysterious Dark Ones. As the sequel begins, you’ll discover that these boogeymen aren’t quite gone yet, and are swiftly sent on your way to retrieve the last remaining survivor.

I say swiftly, but to be honest that’s not entirely true. Metro Last Light doesn’t mind slowing things down. Minor characters are given plenty of time for exposition, and although he remains silent through any exchange, Artyom still gets to share his opinion during loading screens. This pacing is often a little off unfortunately, and I found myself doing mad strafing, running around the characters and willing them to shut up and get on with it. The plot is relatively simple, facilitating an 8-hour journey through the Metro underground, and it often felt like it didn’t need quite as much explanation as was given.

This feeling was only exasperated, however, because of how much I actually enjoyed playing through Metro Last Light. There’s a returning focus on ammo preservation, although it’s definitely been tamed outside of the harder ‘Ranger’ mode. So, I naturally swapped to a stealthy, defensive approach to combat. 4A Games proprietary engine does lighting exceptionally well, and the levels are each designed with the same degree of flexibility as Arkham City. It’s a game that Metro Last Light recalls often during your exchanges with enemies; a swift, empowering character at your command. Shifting through the darkness, demolishing an enemy front, all to sneak away at the end of it – this is without a doubt the thing that Metro Last Light does best.

When you’re allowed above ground, things get a little more sketchy. This happens infrequently, but each segment highlights a couple of things extremely clearly. Firstly, the designers spent most of their time thinking in terms of funnelling the player through a level. When presented with the task of creating a fun, open space for play, they struggle, quickly reverting to narrow paths that feel painfully forced. Secondly, the core combat skills at your disposal don’t match up well with hordes of monsters. Your relatively tame weapons leave you feeling powerless against waves of mutant shrimps and bears. This contrast might have been interesting, but mindless shooting doesn’t provide a burst of excitement as you abandon stealthy restraint. It’s just uninteresting. I found myself sighing whenever I saw daylight, knowing what was coming.

But – and it’s a big but – these sections are a really small part of the game. In the tunnels, Metro Last Light thrives, throwing ideas at you at a steady pace. With such a confined space to play in, it’s amazing that 4A Games have managed to generate such variety within the underground. Every time I was in control, every time the darkness was around me, I was having an absolute blast. The subterranean environment felt real, it felt exciting to explore, and it provided an endless array of fun combat scenarios. I could have played this sort of stealth for dozens more hours.

As a package, it’s relatively slim, but I commend the lack of multiplayer – this isn’t a game that needed it. Multiple playthroughs are recommended, and there’s enough to see to merit that investment. On PC, Metro Last Light looks great, and other than a few slightly unsafe autosaves and a faulty night vision feature (which I suspect will be fixed before launch) it was technically robust. It’s the sort of game that you’d complete, play a couple of times, and then come back to some rainy afternoon, only to lose yourself all over again. A surprise treat, even with its obvious imperfections.

Jason and Jett enjoyed a Vegas weekend filled with exfoliation, chicken and waffles, and Topanga sightings. Also, Dead Island: Riptide opens the door for a discussion about disappointing sequels.

Todd is out, Adam is in. Yes, that Adam. Just for this week, but he wants to come back for episode 100 which is only two short weeks away! Maybe three if we want to postpone a bit. Jim talks about Defiance and Charmed, Aaron is the only one who wants to talk about other games, Ben has a snack, and Adam gets drunk. Par for the course.

In a completely different turn of events this week, Joel, Aaron and Dan are joined by friends Nick and Jeff for a modern 4-player co-op extravaganza!

The four set out to become the greatest international group thieves the world has ever seen in Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine, only to realise that they are almost completely incompetent and really don’t synergise very well. At least somebody got to smash down some walls with a sledgehammer.

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Trion’s Defiance is a relatively straightforward game that’s slightly more involved than most shooters, but far less complex than the standard MMO. Still, I think there are a few good tips we can offer to help new players being pulled in by the solid Syfy TV tie-in, or for those who (smartly) had waited for the inevitable launch hiccups to get straightened out. As always, this Kickstart Guide is intended to provide general tips, not an advanced take on a small section of the game.

Wait, How Do I Log Out?

I’m thankful Defiance has relatively few gameplay systems, because the interface leaves a lot to be desired. It may seem trite to begin a guide about getting into a game with how to get out of it, but it took me five minutes to figure out how to log out of the client on PC. To save you the unnecessary frustration, hit Esc (or pull up any of the main menus), hold space bar to bring up the extra radial menu, and Log Out will be at the top right of your screen.

Designing a Character

Everyone starts in the same zone and experiences the same story. Defiance is not, strictly-speaking, a class-based MMO, but you are presented with a choice of 4 different powers at the end of the tutorial level. Decoy does exactly what you think it does. So does Cloak. Blur increases movement speed and boosts melee damage. Overcharge is the most immediately useful skill, giving a temporary boost to damage that’s quite useful in taking down elite and boss-level enemies.

Surrounding each of the 4 starting powers is an EGO Grid full of passive perks which modify your character’s stats in very specific ways (e.g. recharge shields if you do damage type X). As you gain levels, you receive EGO points which allow you to unlock and level up those perks. The number of perks you can equip increases as you level up, and you can mix perks from all of the 4 parts of the grid once you (slowly) gain access to them.

Defiance has a very flat level progression compared to most MMOs. With one notable roadblock that requires progressing the main story, a level 1 character can scoot around (and survive) pretty much anywhere but there is still an appreciable power gain as you progress through the game. Don’t come in expecting a power fantasy and you’ll be happy. Instead, it’s a rare open world game that’s truly open and not level-gated.

Progressing Weapon Skills

In addition to the EGO Grid, you also slowly increase stats based on the weapon types you use. The more damage you do with assault rifles, the better you’ll get – but there’s a catch. XP on an individual weapon has a cap. If you have a gun that you love, but the XP has maxed out, you’re not helping level that weapon type anymore. This incentivizes experimenting with new weapons, even within a preferred type.

This Isn’t Gears

If, like me, you’re playing the majority of the game solo (co-op being a function of serendipity) Defiance can be brutal at times. Disabuse yourself of the notion that you’re playing just another current-gen third-person shooter. Gears of War this is not. There is no cover mechanic. There’s rarely even a good reason to crouch behind chest-high walls. Instead, learn to run away, kite, or circle strafe when your shield drops. Roll-dodging is your best friend, even if the default button map takes some getting used to.

The game really started to click when I realized that you should almost never be standing still. For all of the awkward character animation in the game, staying alive is about being fluid, running and gunning – but doing it smartly. Twitch reflexes aren’t required, but getting into the correct position is a must. Flanking attacks can be devastating to bandits and enemy teams alike.

Enemies are Bullet Sponges, but Always Go For the Weak Spot

Nearly every enemy in the game can absorb a freakish amount of damage, especially if you only attack center mass. The game is all about finding the weak points of each enemy type and getting into position to exploit them. For humanoid enemies, that’s (almost) always the head, but other enemy types will have a literal glowing spot to indicate the best place to hit them. For certain ones, that requires having someone shooting from behind.

The Loot Tables Are Dumb, Deal With it

Don’t spend a lot of time analyzing loot. In my opinion, the system in Defiance needs a lot of work. Perhaps I got lucky, or maybe it just really clicks with my particular play style, but I’ve spent well over 50% of my time with the game with the same gun as my primary weapon. This isn’t a game where you’re constantly shedding equipment as you get better loot. In fact, inventory management is cumbersome enough I rarely pick up any loot at all unless it’s colored rare – and even then it’s still almost always worse than my current items.

Your active loadout is limited to two weapons. I tote the FRC Saw light machine gun as my primary weapon, which deals heavy damage, and has a massive magazine to limit reload time during Arkfalls and boss encounters. Alongside that, I typically carry either a shotgun for close-range or a burst-fire assault rifle to gain extra distance. I have yet to encounter a situation where I really needed a sniper rifle, and the alien weapons I’ve found have been universally disappointing though quite imaginative in their mechanics. YMMV.

What’s the Gear Chase?

Getting better loot from drops is relatively rare, as I just noted. It pays to check the generic “Supplies” Vendor for their constantly rotating specials. You also slowly accrue keycodes which can be used to buy a lockbox – essentially a random chance to gain loot. The higher tier the box, the better the loot is supposed to be.

About 10 hours in you’ll gain the ability to do Contracts, accessible in the Goals part of the radial menu. By working on tasks for the various factions, you’ll increase your reputation with them, allowing you access to their special weapons, some of which offer significant stat bumps compared to what you’ll get as quest rewards or drops.

Pay Attention to the Map, But Don’t Live By It

The main map is your guide to the various quests and activities. Main story quests are pinpointed quite well on the minimap but the game currently doesn’t support setting a custom waypoint for side quests, frequently making navigation frustrating. I’ve found that toggling off “rotate map with camera” makes navigation much easier. In fact, I wish all games would just stick to a fixed north minimap, or at least make that an option.

It’s tempting to turn your Defiance experience into a checklist. Quest over here. Complete. Quest over there. Complete. Now there’s a quest back there? Okay, complete. As you drive through areas, however, you’ll discover all sorts of incidental encounters not marked on the map at all. I really hope future title updates expand on this, because the world as it is can be sparse. I also like to keep my eye out for players working on quests I’ve completed, in case they need a hand. The quests are all built around easy repetition, the only downside being that hardly anyone bothers to communicate over public chat (whether voice or text) on PC currently.

An Arkfall a Night

Arkfalls are Defiance’s analogue to Rift’s eponymous Rifts, and offer crazy spectacle in an otherwise understated shooter. Do too many in a row, however, and even the most exciting part of the game gets tedious, since there’s not much diversity in the encounters. Strike a balance between questing and chasing Arkfalls. They’re fun, but don’t represent a persistent threat like Rift, nor offer a unique currency reward like the public Events in Guild Wars 2.

At this point, many of Defiance’s technical flaws have been ironed out and patches to add content are on their way. It’s not a perfect game by any stretch, but with these tips you can have a lot of fun being an Arkhunter. As Jim Hunter and I have both observed, it’s far more addicting than it has a right to be on its surface.

Tonight, while being joined by True Geek Radio’s Wallace Fajardo (did I say that right?), we learn that Todd Fuller plays guitar. That’s pretty much all you need to know about this one. Just listen.

IT’S UNBELIEVABLE. THIS IS A HISTORIC EVENT. DAN ACTUALLY BEATS A GAME THIS WEEK. Shame that The Karate Kid was still an awful game anyway.

To return to form after doing the unthinkable, Dan decides to tackle both Double Dragon III and The Adventures of Bayou Billy. Things do not end well.

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“Ahh, Dwarf Tiger. They sent… you. I’ll have to have words with Corpse Defiler when I see him next. But… Thank you.”

“Yes. Yes. YES!!” He continued. “Death and blood and feces and ….”

“Yes Dwarf Tiger, I’m glad you had fun,” I quickly interrupted. “We have some nice bridges in the area for you to collect tolls. Feel free to choose any of them.”

“Thank you master!”

Not everything was good news. Dick now considered us a huge threat and his goons started showing up demanding bribes.

I told him to fuck off, and he invaded prefecture 6. Luckily my forces there were competent and they repelled the assault.

In other news, Swine Flu had started to spread in the west. Flying God was concerned.
“As a wizard, I have some healing magic,” Flying God said meekly, while averting his gaze. “We’ll have to keep our eyes on this.”

“So long as we don’t have to stop eating bacon,” I began, “you can worry about whatever you want,” I replied.

AGAIN!? Another demand! I had ordered soldiers from 8 to move into 6 to fortify our positions. I again told Strong Winged to fuck off.

Another invasion. Another Victory.

I travelled downtown to take a look at the local talent. With so much strife I needed some more bandits to help me out. I was intimidated by a Lady named “Ten Foot Snake.” She had refused to join and I was glad, with a name like that I feel we might be getting more than we could handle.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fast-paced fighter where every battle is larger than life. If you’re ready to throw down with Superman and the gang, this Kickstart Guide might be the Kryptonite you need to pound your adversaries into submission.

Understand Your Surroundings

Every stage in the game features a number of environmental objects to interact with, from throwable bombs, to motorcycles you can ride to run people over. At first, the temptation is high to simply mash on the Interact button when the icon appears by your health bar. However, this tactic falls apart quickly when a lack of familiarity can cause button mashers to blindly whiff a kick or attack in the wrong direction.

To get the most out of these weapons, you really should take the time to learn the properties of every object and understand how each character interacts with them. For instance, a Power class character such as Doomsday may throw a car, while a Gadget character like Batman may attach explosives to that same car instead.

Also, think about specific scenarios where interacting with a specific object will be more beneficial at a certain point in the match. As an example, all of the objects that you kick people into work much better as a combo extender rather than as a reckless initial attack. The former is guaranteed additional damage while the latter is a risk that your opponent can punish. Spend some time in training mode to determine the best use for each.

While you’re learning how to dish out the pain, remember that your opponent can also use these objects against you. These attacks are unblockable, but they’re all avoidable or preventable too. When you see your opponent close to one, be ready to employ some sort of countermeasure, such as jumping out of the way, so that you don’t take a car to the face.

String Theory

Combos don’t begin and end with the predefined combo strings on the moves list. When used in tandem with other strings, special moves, normal moves and interactive object attacks, short strings can extend into brutal ballets of offensive destruction. The trick is to determine how to piece all of these tools together.

In general, strings that knock someone into the air, bounce them off a wall, or bounce them off the ground are best used at the beginning or middle of a combo. These leave your opponent in a state where you can continue the flurry. Special moves and normal moves can oftentimes be used to bridge the gap between strings. Conversely, strings, special moves, or super moves that knock foes to the ground or out of reach work best as finishers.

With this basic understanding of combo construction in mind, get creative and piece together as many different sequences as you can in training mode. Once you’ve mastered a few against the training dummy, try them out on a live opponent!

The Clash

The Clash System is one of the game’s more confusing gameplay mechanics. How does it work? When your opponent is hitting you with a combo and you’re down to your red health bar, you can use a clash by hitting forward and the meter burn button. This acts as a combo breaker and as opportunity to gain life back if you have more EX meter than they do. Each player can use a clash once per match.

When is it a good time to use it and when should you leave it alone? Though it’s still early in the game’s life to ultimately determine the best uses for it, here are a few safe bets.

If you find yourself in a situation where your opponent’s combo will cost you the match, use it. At worst, you lose some meter, while resetting character positioning and saving yourself from imminent defeat. An opponent cannot win through a clash, so using it at this point will give you at least one more shot at redemption.

If you’ve still got most of your second health bar and your opponent has started a combo, save it for later. You can actually run into a situation where you won’t gain all the health you should have earned upon winning the clash because the second health bar can’t go higher than 100%. In general, wait until you’re really down on your luck to use it.

Also keep an eye out on your opponent’s EX meter. If you have the EX meter advantage, consider clashing while you’re ahead to easily regain upwards of 33% of your health back. In particular, they’re most vulnerable to losing a clash right after they execute their super move. Using one at this point can essentially negate the damage that their super just dealt.

Totally Crossed Out

Unlike Mortal Kombat before it, Injustice uses Street Fighter-style directional blocking. This opens the door for cross-up attacks, which are a powerful tactic in almost every fighting game. Understanding how they work will be key to laying the smackdown on your foes.

Cross-up attacks occur when an opponent hits you from behind. The most common scenario for this maneuver happens when someone executes a jump-in attack that hits from behind during the downward arc of their jump. In the image below, Batman is crossing-up The Flash with his jumping medium kick.

These attacks are effective because blocking cross-ups can be confusing. Referring back to the image, Batman was jumping from left to right, which would normally mean that The Flash would hold right on the d-pad or joystick to block the ensuing attack. However, as illustrated in the image, Batman actually makes contact when he is to the right of his opponent. In this scenario, The Flash would have to hold the d-pad or joystick to the left in order to block it. It may take some time to grasp the concept, though doing so will make your defence considerably stronger.

Not every move can act as a cross-up, and the ones that do require strict timing and spacing to execute. It’s highly recommended that you spend some time in training mode to determine which moves have this property. If you want to get fancy, you can even turn on the hitbox view to visually see whether an attack’s hitbox intersects the back side of your opponent’s hurtbox. Using a mix of straightforward and cross-up attacks will greatly increase your chances of landing a successful opening hit.

Justice For All

The path towards Injustice: Gods Among Us dominance is rife with evildoers chomping at the bit to take you down. This Kickstart Guide isn’t a substitute for super powers, though they could make a valuable addition to your utility belt. Next time you enter the fray, have these pro-tips handy, because this knowledge may be the difference between victory and defeat.

Fake Ed Boon addresses the Deathstroke haters, explains why Goro isn’t in Injustice: Gods Among Us, and discusses the complications of making Mortal Kombat vs. NBA Jam. Besides our special guest, Mat’s friend has become a trolling manic, Jason got to play the follow-up to A Link to the Past, and Jett shares two very important facts about Iceland.

We’re pretty weirded out by Nintendo not having a press conference at E3. Or…ARE WE? Other discussion includes Monaco, Sacred Citadel, the Marvel Heroes beta, and Todd maybe being a werewolf. Also, please note that Defiance is enough of a game that you can play it.

I stopped downtown and a feeble old man was pick pocketing some children. After watching him successfully steal some sticky coins and a half torn edition of Mad Magazine, I knew that this was someone who I needed in my bandit camp.

He went by the name White Tiger, presumably because he was old. Really old. I mean, he remembers even more ancient China old. “Hey friend,” I began, “You seem like the type of scumbag rogue that I could use in my struggle against government oppression!”

“Oppression eh? Ever since Evil Gao Qiu cut medicare and social security I can’t make ends meet! I’d be happy to lend my special blend of talents: Telling kids to get off my lawn, if I had one, reminiscing about the good ol’ days, and walking uphill in the snow,” He stated in a raspy voice.

“Great! Let’s head over to the swamp where the rest of my criminal gang lives!”

After a few months went by I held a meeting with my top level subordinates. Corpse Defiler and Split Spear even came in from prefecture 6 to join in.

“Greetings Gentlemen and Dwarf Tiger, thank you for joining me today to discuss our plans to conquer the north. Last time we made a fatal error; we left ourselves exposed on two fronts and we did not have the resources to survive. This time I have a different plan. We have great military might in prefecture 6, we need to send that force into 5 and finishing conquering the lands of the Bandit King Leopard Headed. This task I am leaving up to Corpse Defiler.”

Corpse Defiler was surprised at the promotion and the faith that I had in him. “Thank you Blue Faced Beast,” He said. “Please disregard what I’ve said about you in the past. I will send my best and whoever else is sober enough to make the journey against Leopard Headed.”

“Thank you Corpse Defiler,” I replied, glad that he was up to task. “Once we have captured Leopard Headed and secured prefecture 5, I will send our main forces into prefecture 4 and meet Dick head on! Helmet to Helmet! Shaft to shaft!”

Those present erupted in cheers. Morale was high, and I believed my plan would succeed. Corpse Defiler and Split Spear left the next day to begin preparations. I awaited word of their success…

From the journal of Corpse Defiler, Commander and Chief of the First Northern Bandit Force:

July 23rd, 1114

We arrived back home and the bandits were excited about the news. War! We were entrusted to start this thing and we were ready. I informed those who would be going and those who would be staying to watch over things. White Tiger was upset at not being selected. That crazy old man rambled on and on about how 70 years ago he murdered 10 trolls with his bare hands – I mean, we didn’t take him seriously but Dwarf Tiger looked like he shit his pants! I need to keep those two separated. White Tiger can stay here and count the migratory birds and yell at the Sun for staying out so late and preventing him from getting to bed on time.

August 1st, 1114

We made our preparations and we left for prefecture 5. Tomorrow the fighting will begin.

Another swamp! Bandits love making their home in swamps. Leopard Headed is no different in that respect.

Our forces approached from the south. ‘Chicken’ Headed did not show himself at this time. Only a meek force of 300 defending the swamp castles.

Platform | Release Date
PC | October 23, 2012
Developed by Dennaton Games
Published by Devolver Digital

The Pitch:

Hotline Miami is a high-octane action game overflowing with raw brutality, hard-boiled gunplay and skull crushing close combat. Set in an alternative 1989 Miami, you will assume the role of a mysterious antihero on a murderous rampage against the shady underworld at the behest of voices on your answering machine. Soon you’ll find yourself struggling to get a grip of what is going on and why you are prone to these acts of violence.

“Question One: Do you like hurting other people?”

This query resonates as a central thread through the exquisitely bloody tapestry of Dennaton’s Hotline Miami. After working its way to the top of my backlog queue, it was time to find out why so much praise had been lavished on it through media and word of mouth. After a playthrough, I can honestly say that every compliment this game has received is completely justified.

Hotline Miami is dark, 1980’s noir as a video game. Compared repeatedly to Nicholas Refn’s provocative thriller “Drive”, Hotline tells the story of a nameless “protagonist” who is tasked with performing seemingly random acts of violence doled out by anonymous callers on his answering machine. He is also occasionally harassed by strangers in animal masks who probe him with vague questions.

The game’s narrative comes together in bits and pieces floating amidst a sea of red. Each mission in Hotline Miami is an exercise in precision violence. Playing like a classic top-down shooter in fast forward, or a microcosm of the original Grand Theft Auto, you must navigate each stage as quickly as possible while gruesomely dispatching your enemies and avoiding imminent death. You’ll don various masks which render an “identity” to your character for the current mission, and also bestow a particular bonus such as extra speed, starting with a weapon, or granting extra ammo. You are always outnumbered and outgunned at the start of a mission, so these bonuses can be a boon when the odds are stacked against you. Plus, killing Russian mobsters in a rubber horse mask is pretty sweet.

As you take on the criminal organizations of Hotline Miami you’ll quickly learn the ropes of its brutal combat system. Smashing, stabbing, dismembering, scalding, and crushing are all fair play, and that is before you even pick up a gun! By the time you finish a level, it will look like a 16-bit Jackson Pollack painting made of corpses. Much of that blood spilled could be your own, however, as the game has a pretty hefty difficulty curve. Similar to titles like Super Meat Boy, you’ll experience numerous deaths by trial and error until you’ve choreographed the perfect crime scene. Luckily Dennaton has captured the “instant respawn” rhythm and things never feel tiresome or frustrating.

On the subject of rhythm, this game has one of the single best soundtracks I’ve heard in years. If you’ve ever loved a keyboard solo, you owe it to yourself to listen to the OST. The music perfectly sets the mood in between missions with grungy bass lines and odd effects, and delivers pulsing beats and hypnotic loops during missions while you complete your grim tasks. It adds an extra layer of grimy audio and reinforces just how filthy and dark the game world feels.

I can’t say enough good things about Hotline Miami in this short write up. It’s a simply a great game. It manages to perfectly capture an old school vibe in the dark and unsettling world Dennaton has created to encapsulate the story they tell. Anyone with a PC (gamepad highly recommended), PS3, or Vita that appreciates modern games rooted in classic sensibilities should download this game as soon as possible and give it a try, even if it’s only to hear one of the best video game soundtracks of the past five years.

Platform | Release Date
PC | March 18, 2013
Developed by PuppyGames
Published by PuppyGames

The Pitch:

The last human has been slain by evil killer robots. You are the one remaining humanoid battle droid. Your mission: avenge the human race! Boost your battledroid with powerups, buy cute but deadly pets in the shop. Blast your way through 40+ glowing neon levels, avoiding Chasers, Turrets, Spawners, Minelayers, bombs, and bullets, and take on the four giant boss ‘bots of the Apocalypse – Ieiunitas, Bellum, Lues and Letum!

Since Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved established itself in 2005 as a must-have Xbox Live Arcade title, there have been quite a few dual-joystick shooters trying to capitalize on the mechanic. But for every great one like Avalanche’s Renegade Ops, you’ve got five that are forgettable. The latest example is Ultratron from indie developer PuppyGames.

Taking its cues from one of the earliest examples, Ultratron is an updated take on the Williams classic Robotron: 2084, but with a frantic neon aesthetic to go along with its wave-based robot murdering. It’s easy to assume, like I did, that you’re the best player on the planet until you realize that a single hit will remove a multiplier that has been building over multiple waves. Yes, it’s all about score and survival, and the tools that can assist you in this pursuit. Ultratron can be as addictive as you allow it to be.

Each enemy gives you points based on their size and your multiplier. They also drop cold hard cash which will quickly disappear. You’ve got to blast enough bad guys to make enough room to collect enough money. The currency lets you purchase upgrades after each wave, but you may also need to replenish your shields with the same scratch. I’ve found that typically you’ll want to save up your money to get the better upgrades, so avoiding damage is important not only to your multiplier, but to your wallet. It got to the point where I’d restart at a checkpoint just because I got hit. But don’t do that, it seems silly in retrospect.

Upgrades can be permanent, like speed boosts, weapon strength, or the range at which your avatar will slurp up coin, but there are also expensive helper drones that can get destroyed. The three different drones have their own abilities and can drastically increase your effectiveness against the mounting hordes. These drones also have their own upgrade path which increases their resilience and effectiveness.

Ultratron isn’t endless and has a boss wave every 5 levels, so it’ll take practice and strategic play to get high scores. If you die, you can continue from checkpoints after each boss battle, but a 1CC (one-credit clear) should be your goal. Isn’t that the goal of every Bullet Hell game? There aren’t patterns to memorize here, but it can fit the bill if you’re looking in that direction. PuppyGames has also dangled a high score carrot in front of everyone by incorporating leaderboards on their website. I don’t think I’ll ever be as good as those listed, but dammit I’m going to try.

I know that this is a bit more mechanical than I usually write, but as an arcade game mechanics are what Ultratron’s all about. The deceptively simple gameplay can elicit plenty of different strategies through upgrades, and being primarily about your high score, there’s always room for improvement. PuppyGames has delivered a great feeling arcade shoot-em-up.

Platform | Release Date
360, PS3, PC | April 16, 2013
Developed by Southend
Published by Deepsilver

The Pitch:

Sharpen your axe, string your bow, brew your potions! Ancaria needs heroes like you. Grab your friends to join the resistance!

The once peaceful land of Ancaria is in grave danger. The evil Ashen empire has enslaved its population and is using the orc-like Grimmoc to wipe out the Seraphim, who swore to protect it. In order to defeat the empire you will have to prove yourself as a warrior by riding terrifying mounts, acquiring earth shattering skills and looting powerful weapons and valuable treasures. Grab your friends and join the resistance!