Review: AIPD

AIPD
Cost
$9.99 / £7.99
Format
Digital only
Size
0.26GB
Available On
Xbox ONE [Reviewed], PS4 & Steam
Release Date
30/01/16
Developer
Blazing Badger
Publisher
mamor games
Modes
Single player and Local Co-op

AIPD (an acronym for Artificial Intelligence Police Department) is a top down twin stick shooter in the same vein as Geometry Wars and Ultratron. Luckily, as Xbox One owners we have been spoilt for choice as far as twin stick shooters are concerned. Just how does AIPD fit in to the ever growing catalogue?

There isn’t much in the way of a story line in AIPD so I’ll dive right into the gameplay. To begin with, you need to kit out your ship. You start off with the Gatling Gun for your weapon and the Allrounder Modification. As you continue to play and rack up the points, you’ll be rewarded with new weapons and modifications to use. Personally, my favourite combination was to use the Phaser for the weapon and the Automatic modifier which activates your power ups as soon as you pick them up. You get to unlock a total of 6 weapons and 6 modifiers and they offer many ways to play the game based on what load out you choose. The game throws 15 waves at you that gradually increase in difficulty. Every few waves or so you are introduced to a new type of enemy with different weapons and attacks to keep you on your toes. If you lose all of your health, that’s game over and you have to start over from wave 1.

The calm before the storm

The calm before the storm.

Along with the main mode, there are 4 other game modes you can have a go at which have different modifiers enabled to increase the difficulty, the fourth mode being a custom mode which you can pick and choose which modifiers are enabled for the game.

Like with other twin stick shooters, you move around with the left stick, aim with the right stick and shoot with the right trigger. Enemies can sometimes drop power ups to help you along your way and you can activate them with the A button. These power ups range from slowing down time to giving yourself a shield. Lastly, you periodically have Transporters fly across the map which, when destroyed, will drop a special weapon like some missiles or some torpedoes, which can be fired using the left trigger.

There are a couple of things that make this different from other twin stick shooters I have played. Firstly, all weapons can overheat, which isn’t to much of an issue on it’s own. But when you combine that with the fact that every time you overheat your weapons, a mine comes flying out of the back of your ship ready to blow you up and take valuable HP from you, it makes you think twice about spamming that right trigger.

The second and most intriguing difference were the challenges that add modifiers to your game. After every wave you go into some kind of wormhole and you are offered up two choices. These choices are modifiers that increase the difficulty of the game in exchange for bonus multiplier. In total, there are 24 different modifiers and upon completion of a wave, two are randomly chosen for you to pick from. Some of them are almost ignorable like the leak modifier which leaves you leaking multipliers constantly throughout the wave, whereas others can be a complete nightmare to deal with. This opens up the opportunity for each playthrough to be somewhat unique depending on what modifiers you get to choose from which, I must say, was a pleasant surprise.

Decisions, decisions..

Decisions, decisions…

When I finished the game my first time I was a bit disappointed it was over so quickly, but upon playing it again on a harder difficulty I found it just as enjoyable (albeit harder) as my first playthrough. The random modifiers can be a bit frustrating at times though. On a few occasions during my attempts at beating the game on Hard mode, I had the distinct feeling that the game was screwing me over after having a few modifier choices that gave me a major disadvantage towards the very end. This is probably my issue and mine alone though based on how I opted to play the game.

AIPD does a great job at catering for different play styles. I opted for the run and gun option and ignored my overheating bar. With my setup I was able to easily work around overheating every now and then and avoid those pesky mines popping out of my backside. Like I said above, I did get burned a few times with the modifiers making my play style very difficult, especially when I had to choose the Short Fuse modifier which shortens the fuse on the mines that pop out when you overheat. I tried other methods as well which didn’t work so well for me but there are definitely many ways to go about AIPD.

Phaser FTW!

Phaser FTW!

Something I wanted to touch on briefly that I don’t generally mention in my reviews is the graphics. I was genuinely impressed with how the game was able to portray the retro style graphics but at the same time you know it’s a brand new game using the Unreal Engine 4. I don’t think I encountered a single bit of lag or screen tear at all. I’m not going into any more detail than that because I would be pretending to know what I’m talking about.

To be honest, my only real criticism of AIPD would be the length of the game. I know I explained above that there is real replayability due to the modifiers but I would have enjoyed it more if there were more waves to contest with and a few more different enemies to destroy. Or failing that, having a boss fight every 5 waves or so. Instead you get 14 waves against the run of the mill enemies and 1 final wave against the boss.

One thing I haven’t touched upon is the local co-op aspect of AIPD. I am a huge fan of local co-op games but it would have been nice to see some online functionality other than the leaderboards (which is a nice addition). From what I got to play in local co-op, the game was as much fun as it was playing solo.

Now onto my favourite part, the achievements list. Anyone who enjoys their twin stick shooters and has a decent skill level will complete AIPD with few issues. The only achievement which can be a pain is defeating the boss in hard mode. With practice it isn’t too bad. Other achievements range from not overheating at all through all 15 waves, unlocking all weapons and modifications and scoring 1 billion points.

All in all, AIPD is a brilliant top down, twin stick shooter and I would highly recommend anyone who enjoys these games to go and buy it now if you haven’t already. The gameplay is fast paced and enjoyable and the graphics are on point. Although, the game does only have 15 waves and it doesn’t have any online gameplay, the modifiers certainly help to add replayability and the local co-op is a blast. AIPD fits into the catalogue very neatly near the top.

A review code for AIPD was provided by the Developer for the purpose of this review.

PROS:
1)Fast paced, entertaining gameplay
2)Modifiers really increase replayability
3)Local co-op
CONS:
1)Too short
2)No online play
8.4
EXCELLENT

 

Review: Cubot – The Complexity of Simplicity

Cubot – The Complexity of Simplicity
Cost
$1.99 / £1.59
Format
Digital only
Size
0.35 GB
Available On
Xbox ONE [Reviewed], PS4, Steam
Release Date
01/08/16
Developer
NicoplvGames
Publisher
NicoplvGames
Modes
Single player

Cubot has a very straightforward mechanic. You control a coloured block (or cube if you prefer) and you need to get it to the like coloured square on the floor. But, as the name suggests there is a great amount of complexity to the implied simplicity. See what I did there?!

The game is split up into 10 episodes each with 8 levels with varying degrees of difficulty. They start off really simple, requiring you to guide your block to the coloured square on the floor by just avoiding some obstacles. As you progress through the levels the game introduces more complicated mechanics, such as extra blocks, different coloured blocks that move differently and teleports.

These pesky blocks move two squares at a time

These pesky blocks move two squares at a time

Cubot does a really good job at introducing a new mechanic during the beginning of each episode so you don’t feel overwhelmed by it. By the time you hit the mid levels of the episode you’re fully comfortable with how the levels work and you can really get into solving the puzzles put in front of you. By the end of some of the episodes I had some real head scratching moments…I just couldn’t figure out how to get the level done.

I’m not going to lie, I struggle with puzzle games and I did end up having to use some guides for the later levels but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the game. Anyone well versed, or even average at puzzle games would probably be able to figure them out without the need for a guide.

Blocks moving in different directions gave me more trouble than I care to admit.

Blocks moving in different directions gave me more trouble than I care to admit.

If there is anything to complain about it has to be the length of the game. You could probably finish it within 2-3 hours without the use of guides, maybe even less than that depending on your puzzle skills.

As far as achievements are concerned, the list is pretty unimaginative. There are a total of 10 achievements each for 10 which unlock at the end of every episode. This game is a must buy for any achievement hunters out there without a doubt.

Initially, I was sceptical. That scepticism didn’t last long. This game is a fantastic little puzzler and will give you a few hours of enjoyment. I know I painted the length of the game as a negative, but when you consider the price of the game sits at just $1.99 it is an absolute steal. I mentioned above that this is a must buy for achievement hunters and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone who enjoys casual puzzlers to give it a go.

A review code for Cubot – The Complexity of Simplicity was provided by the Developer for the purpose of this review.

PROS:
1) Great introductions to new mechanics
2) Excellent puzzles
3) More than reasonable price point
CONS:
1) Quite short
2) Achievement list is meh
7.9
GOOD

Review: Draw a Stickman: EPIC

Draw a Stickman: EPIC
Cost
$7.99 / £7.99
Format
Digital only
Size
0.41 GB
Available On
Xbox ONE [Reviewed], Steam
Release Date
09/11/15
Developer
Hitcents.com Inc
Publisher
Hitcents.com Inc
Modes
Single Player

Draw a Stickman: EPIC currently has 30% off the above price and it will be running until 17th September

Have you ever wanted to create your own hero? Have you ever wanted to dictate who it is that needs to be saved? Well Hitcents’ Draw a Stickman: EPIC could fulfill those needs. You take control of your very own hand drawn hero either with hand gestures using the Kinect, or with the controller if Kinect isn’t really your thing.

In Draw a Stickman: EPIC you are tasked with using your created hero to rescue your friend you drew from the evil clutches of Zarp. Throughout your quest you will have to face Zombies, Dragons and massive Armakillos among other creatures trying to stop you from finding your friend. To even the odds in each level you will be able to use different pencils that will aid you in defeating enemies and progressing through each level.

Even stick zombies like brains...

Even stick zombies like brains…

There are 13 main story levels each filled with puzzles and obstacles to navigate. Each level has a hidden puzzle piece and colour buddy to find. If you find all the puzzle pieces, a bonus level is unlocked and each colour buddy gives you access to a new colour to draw with when creating your stickman (you can change your stickman drawing at any time on the level select menu).

There are 4 different pencils you can draw with in the game, each with their own ability. The first pencil is the fire pencil. Just draw some fire and use this to light things on fire such as torches, some enemies, wooden doors etc. The second pencil is the cloud pencil which can create rain to extinguish fires or fill a bucket with water for example. The cloud pencil doubles up to create lightning as well. Just draw a cloud and colour it in and you have lightning which you can use to start up anything electrical. The third pencil is the key pencil, which is pretty self explanatory. Lastly there is the Axe pencil, which again doesn’t really need explaining.

In each level, you will be given the relevant pencils you need to get you through the level and solve the puzzles. As you progress through the game the levels will begin to have several exits to different levels. To find all the exits you’ll need to solve various puzzles making use of all the pencils given to you.

As far as the controls go, they are fairly easy to use. You control your stickman with the left analogue stick, pick your pencil you want to draw with using up and down on the d-pad then confirm your choice with X and you draw by holding down the right trigger. If you are playing with the Kinect, you draw hand gestures. Now I didn’t get too much time in on the Kinect whilst playing but from what I did, I found the gestures to react really well and I didn’t really have any issues with the Kinect picking up my movements at all. But, even when playing with Kinect, you can only use it for drawing things. Regarding playing the game with the controller, every now and then I would stop moving. There is one level where you need to run away from an area to avoid an explosion and on several occasions whenever I changed direction, my stickman would just stop moving. I found using the controller to draw things became a bit tedious because of the lack of fluidity in the movement of the cursor. Trying to draw anything circular was a bit of a nightmare, but that isn’t really something that could be helped when using the controller. Freehand drawing just doesn’t lend itself well to a controller.

I think my biggest issue was having to keep re-drawing axes and/or keys. For whatever reason, after using them 3 times they just disappeared. So having to re-draw them over and over became quite frustrating and that is probably the only reason I still have 200+ trees to chop down to finish the game up completely.

Getting my Paul Bunyan on!

Getting my Paul Bunyan on!

Something I really enjoyed in Draw a Stickman: EPIC was the art style. The simple drawings used to show the environment and the enemies just work so well. It really makes you think you’re wandering around in a sketchbook.

Time for the achievements. There are handful of achievements that require to perform specific tasks throughout the levels, such as firing yourself out of a cannon. You get some for unlocking all the levels, finding all the collectibles and drawing 1000 fires, cutting down 1000 trees and opening 1000 containers. There is one achievement that is a little bit glitchy and that is the Sconce Boss achievement which requires you to light all the torches in the final level. If you do what it says you will be given 5% towards the achievement but there is a way around this. Just keep lighting them, extinguishing them, then re-lighting them and it will eventually unlock.

Overall I was left with a smile on my face after playing through Draw a Stickman: EPIC. The art style is wonderful, the puzzles will sometimes leave you scratching your head but they aren’t too difficult and being able to draw your own hero and your own take on fire, clouds etc make it a joy to play. Yes, there are small issues with the controls sometimes being non responsive and having to re-draw keys and axes can become irritating but that doesn’t take away from the overall experience Draw a Stickman: EPIC gives you as a gamer.

PROS:
1)Great art style
2)Good to see Kinect being used
3)Fun puzzles
CONS:
1)Controls aren’t great
2)Having to re-draw axes and keys
7.8
GOOD

 

Review: Ultratron

Ultratron
Cost
$9.99 / £7.99
Format
Digital only
Size
0.27 GB
Available On
Xbox ONE [Reviewed], PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Wii U, Steam
Release Date
05/08/15
Developer
Carbon
Publisher
Curve Digital
Modes
Single player, Local Co-op

I’ve heard a lot about Robotron 2084 and just how amazing it is but I am ashamed to say I have never played it. When I first started to play Ultratron I was hearing it was a throwback to Robotron 2084, so that’s got to be a good thing right?

For those of you who don’t know anything (like me) about Robotron 2084 it was a top down twin-stick shooter and Ultraton fits the same mold. Ultratron is extremely fast paced and frenetic in it’s gameplay which pits you against hordes of enemy robots wave after wave.

You start off as a lonely robot with the ability to shoot. As you progress through the waves you get access to more and more upgrades to enhance your destructive abilities. These range from smart bombs and grenades to pets and drones (more on those in a minute). Every time an enemy is destroyed they leave behind dots which can be collected and used as credits to buy the various upgrades on offer at the end of each wave. Along with upgrades that make you more powerful there are defensive upgrades too. You can even upgrade your life count (shields) which have a set price based on how many you currently own.

More upgrades than you can shake a stick at!

More upgrades than you can shake a stick at!

As I mentioned briefly earlier, you can buy pets and there are three to choose from; Shooty Pet, Laser Pet and Rocket Pet. They can each be upgraded and leveled up to increase their power and once you own them they cannot die. If they get hit they just stop fighting for you until you walk over them to save them. By the time you have leveled them all up you will be feeling unstoppable. The sheer amount of rockets and bullets flying around the screen by your pets is crazy.

Along with upgrades you can buy, there are power-ups which get dropped by little spiders. Again, there’s an array to choose from and if you decide not to pick them up, they stay there until you do or they get blown up meaning you can stack power-ups making you truly unstoppable for a limited time.

Three times the fun.

Three times the fun.

Ultratron doesn’t really have a story to follow but unlike most other games, that doesn’t really detract from the experience. In all honesty, any sort of storyline would probably detract from the gameplay and serve more as a slight breather from the fast paced action.

Each chapter is split into 10 waves, the tenth wave being a boss. In each chapter you also get challenge waves to shoot all the spiders, dodge waves to dodge all enemies without shooting them and assault waves for a chance to earn some extra credits.

The boss waves start off quite tame. At the end of the boss wave a massive robot appears slowly moving around the screen shooting you. Obviously the further you go in the game the tougher the bosses get. As an example, level 100 pits you against three of them at once…and it gets manic.

Uh-oh...

Uh-oh…

The visuals for Ultratron really suit the game. The 8bit/16bit graphics do it no harm what-so-ever and remember that’s coming from a guy who didn’t play Robotron. The colors really pop and the neon purples for the eyes of the pets etc are pretty cool too. The music is just as good as the gameplay, it fits with the craziness going on screen and keeps you engaged really well.

My only real hang up with Ultratron is the lack of online multiplayer. It does feature a local co-op experience but I didn’t really have anyone to try it out with for a prolonged period of time. What I was able to play it was just as solid as the single player experience.

As far as the achievements go, there are a handful of achievements for stacking certain power ups and upgrades to make super weapons. This requires a bit of planning and careful movements so you don’t accidentally pick up a power-up. Others include beating certain bosses, leveling up your pets and maxing out your shields. There is currently 1 glitched achievement but the Developer’s are aware of this and a patch is incoming. So don’t let the achievements scare you away from this great title.

Ultratron had a lot to live up to considering it was being compared to Robotron, and as far as I am concerned it delivered on all accounts. Although online multiplayer or co-op would have been excellent, there is more than enough going for it to make up for it. Ultratron should be held in it’s own esteem as a wonderfully made twin-stick shooter and it deserves to be mentioned in the same sentences as the best ones out there.

PROS:
1) Amazing twin stick shooter gameplay
2) Diverse upgrades
3) Regular checkpoints

CONS:
1) No online multiplayer

9.0
PHENOMENAL