Robocalypse Now!

With its touch interface and dual screens, one would think the Nintendo DS would be an ideal platform for a real-time strategy game. While Heroes of Mana, and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings have valiantly attempted to scale the thrills of a full-fledged RTS down to a portable system, these efforts have not been completely successful. Neither of those titles managed to capture the exhilaration of having an elite group of combatants rush and raze an enemy base.

Luckily, developer Vogster has capitalized on this gap in the DS’s library, and has created one of the most enthralling titles we have recently played on a portable system. By simplifying a number of RTS requisites, Robocalypse is able to focus on the enjoyable aspects of the genre, instead of burdening players with the details of micro-management. The game reminds us of General Chaos, a wonderful strategy game for the Sega Genesis, which also took a light-hearted approach to armed combat.

With the exception of using the d-pad to scroll the map, the game’s commands are all issued with the stylus. The game has two main types on combatants: heroes, who are under a player’s direct control, and soldiers, which move toward player-issued action markers. To move a hero, players first select the unit, and then indicate where they want to the unit to go, typically of most RTS games. Soldiers are not directly controlled, but are influenced- the gamer can use up to five marker points that the units typically respond to.


                                  Why can't more games use a mobile home park as a backdrop to a firefight?

Sadly, soldier control is Robocalypse’s single weakness. If you have a militia on the east side of the map and plant an action marker on the west side, your request will often go ignored. Although maps are a manageable size, units move slowly enough to make defensive teams a requirement in latter levels.  The game will test your strategic skills through levels that require you to wipe out hostile forces, guard against marauding invaders, and survive through a tense countdown. The game has three selectable difficultly levels; we found the ‘normal’ setting to offer a decent challenge.

To simplify the game, factories and defensive turrets can’t be built anywhere on the maps, but rather on predetermined locations. While this would appear to be a limitation, Robocalype’s emphasis isn’t on resource harvesting, but placed squarely on combat. To maintain a fluid play experience, the game limits the size of the player’s army, but in all the hectic warfare, we barely noticed the constraint. 

Beyond the single player experience, seventeen maps are offered for multiplayer matches. Understandably, competition for multiple players does require each DS owner to own a copy of the game. Hidden within the multiplayer option is the ability to host a single-player skirmish, with up to three AI players. Gamers shouldn’t miss this option, as it adds greatly to the game’s overall value.


             Mr. Spacely, what are you doing with this motley crew? Wait, shouldn't nerd-boy be looking the other way?

Graphically, the title offers a generous serving of eye-candy not typically found in third-party Nintendo games. Everything from the menu screens, in-game cinemas, and character art is expertly drawn and detailed. Robot soldiers march valiantly, while builders animate to indicate the heft of weighty objects. Comic book-style text balloons are both witty and enjoyable, if you can take your eyes off the frantic mayhem. The whimsical music selection reiterates the title’s cheerful depiction of cybernetic combat, interrupted only by the occasional machine gun burst or fanfare.

Overall, DS owners that have the slightest interest in playing an action-puzzler should pick up Robocalypse. It proudly stands as the best example of a RTS on any portable platform. By scaling back the complexity typically associated with the genre, developer Vogster has created a compelling title that had us glued to our dual screens. We eagerly await what the creative team will construct next.

Good: Action so intense, an hour will feel like ten minutes.
Bad: Insubordinate soldiers who won’t retreat when told.
Ugly: We hate when our heroes die, turning into a mound of ash.


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Posted by DesertEagle at 11/20/2008 8:34 PM
Categories: DS,Reviews
 

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