In the end, Assault Heroes is a game that really wouldn’t have a chance on any other format other than Xbox Live Arcade
This game brings gameplay back to the days of the early 90’s. All action and no story. All you’re told is you’re the last of a squad and you have to kill things. Good enough for me. The controls work exactly like Smash TV in the way that the left stick controls movement and the right shoots in the direction you point it at. Added are the right and left trigger which shoot grenades and nukes respectively and the B button that gets you out of your vehicle and up close and personal with your foes.
Each level is littered with foes ranging from foot shoulders to walking mechs. There are a few bosses thrown in for good measure which look good but unfortunately don’t take too much to bring down. Weapon upgrades are hidden in boxes and carriers which will power up your three main weapons, Minigun, Flak gun and Flame Thrower. Each gun has it’s pros and cons and are pretty well balanced when it comes to use.
Each level also has a little transport that takes you to an underground complex to battle it out on foot. Not much detail went into this part as every hallway looks the same but you do bag nice goodies if you make it to the end.
Sound effects aren’t bad and they are what you would expect from this little game. All I can say is that they are fitting, nothing over the top and nothing that doesn’t sound right.
Graphics aren’t as shabby as I thought they would be for such a budget game. Metal is reflective, explosions light up the area, a few nice little particle effects are thrown in. While this game won’t win an award or anything, everything is done adequately.
The last nice little addition is that this game can be played co-op on either split screen or Xbox Live. A co-op added bonus firing mode is the only thing that changes if you decide to go at it with a buddy so don’t look for anything revolutionary here either.
In the end, Assault Heroes is a game that really wouldn’t have a chance on any other format other than Xbox Live Arcade and it’s a welcomed addition.