A solid, surprisingly satisfying free game. Though game mechanics could be vastly improved, it's still good fun.
Difficulty (7): I thought that this would be a factor at first, because near the end of the training sessions, they make some difficult scenarios, but I'm glad that they did, it really gets you ready for the PvP experience. There isn't that much of a learning curve or anything. The games are seperated into levels, so new players can go into 1-4 games, but when you hit level 5 you have to step up to the 1-9 games. At first I tried playing in an all level game, which is insanely hard, unless you pay for the good items. Difficulty is progressive in this game.
Controls(8): The controls are all well mapped, a simple keyboard and mouse scheme. They're easy to learn, though at times, taxing to execute.
Graphics(8): Frankly, the graphics are stunning for something I paid $free.99 for. The mechanauts leave little to be wanted, and the levels are decent considering how large some of them are, and that it's a free game.
Gameplay(7): The game bears striking resemblances to the Armored Core franchise. No, don't let that discourage you. Exteel is like an Armored Core game that's actually fun. You have a health bar, which starts at around 2000, and can be replenished by repair points or medical guns. Under that is you energy, which is used up by flying, boost running, and switching to Weapon Set 2. Yes, you get 2 weapon sets. In fact, since you are a robot, you are ambidextrous, so that's four weapons max, unless you get a cannon. This allows for a good amount of customization because of all the combinations of guns, shields, and melee weapons you can have. Most of your time will be spent playing battles to get credits to buy new parts and better guns. Your guns have heat gauges too, and if they overheat, they have to take a few seconds to cool down, but hey, you have two sets, so you just switch when it gets hot.
I have two complaints with the gameplay. Firstly, you could call this a third person shooter, but it really isn't. Weapons have different ranges, and once they get in the said range, it locks on and you can hit enemies. However, when not locked on, you can still shoot, but even if your bullets hit, they do nothing.
Secondly, the people who pay to get the good stuff and support the company are clearly stronger than you. But hey, it's free, good for them for keeping it that way.
Value(10): Perfect. It's free, and hey, if you want to drop five bucks and buy some good parts, it's still a great value for $5.