A game like Assault Android Cactus is easy to get the implementation wrong. Control Scheme is all that counts in making such a game. Developer Witch Beam Games clearly knew this, created fluid controls and one awesome shooting experience.
The story of Assault Android Cactus is a simple one: a police android responds to a distress signal aboard the Genki Star space freighter, only to find all the robots on-board have a hankering for murder. It introduces the location, the problem, and androids as the solution.
The gameplay is very important here, story not so much. Keyboard/mouse and controller both are supported and perform equally well. The analog sticks though feel more natural. The joysticks make movement and aiming easier. The mouse and keyboard controls were surprisingly better then what I was expecting.
If you’ve never played a dual stick arena shooter, it’s essentially what it sounds like. You’re dropped into a closed area with swarms of enemies, in this case robots, who are trying to kill you. It’s very much trial by fire. The robots come in all shapes and sizes. With boses being tank like and difficult to go finish. Some bosses even make appearance in non-boss levels.
Four androids are available to choose from, all with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Some androids are better suited to some levels then other androids . This you will realise when you get stuck and try different androids to clear the level. Things become a little difficult when the changing environments are introduced. Often the change in the environment is something subtle like, fighting in the dark or the platforms will interchange. It prevented monotony and kept me hooked. The game has high difficulty compared to other similar games, but clearing a level is always satisfaction. Start over, make adjustments, change androids and repeat till the right combination appears.
To bump up the difficulty a little bit more, a battery which shows your robots health is added . If it reaches zero game over. There are battery drops time to time, which recharge battery. As enemies die, power ups (speed boost, enemy shutdown , and increase fire power) drop. Online leaderboards and grading system add to the replay value of the game. Only thing missing from the game is online multiplayer co-op.
