We don't have an episode of On the Spot airing this week, but I'm still going to bring indie games to light with this text-based version of Maxwell McBargains. As some of you already know, each week I'm granted $5 dollars to save or spend on interesting indie games. After the E3 hold, my current total is $7.05, and I'm going to spend $1.99 on A.R.C.S. from developer Retromite.
A.R.C.S. is a survival game where you command a small group of mercenaries battling waves of invading aliens. It's an enhanced version of a free, online game of the same name. Using the mouse, you move a targeting reticule and shoot down enemies with a variety of weapons. Between each wave you're awarded currency based on your performance to spend on various upgrades. These upgrades include new weapons for personal use, upgrades for the infantry's weapons, and repairs for the base.
Right away I got an arcade, light gun-vibe from this game. The action is pretty slow in the beginning as you pick off little enemy tanks one after the other, but give it a few stages and the enemy variety shoots way up. Flying enemies, heavy tanks, enemies that repair other enemies--the list goes on. And each one is venerable to a different type of weapon. Juggling between these weapons is easy enough, but to truly master the game you must learn to manage your reloads. Different weapons reload at different speeds, and while one is reloading you can switch to another.
I have found that it's easier to focus on only a few weapons for yourself, and pour most of your resources into upgrading your teammates (who attack automatically). Doing so simplifies matters, but may not be the best strategy since I've yet to finish the game. This is especially challenging since a Game Over means you're starting back from the very beginning. You can save and continue during your journey, but dying deletes that save.
If you're interested in checking out A.R.C.S. you can pick it up via Desura for $1.99. There doesn't appear to be a demo, but you can always player the free version online. And if you want to check out the other McBargains recommendations, the list is as follows: Out There Somewhere, 1000 Amps, Birth Order, Lone Survivor, Offspring Fling, Wizorb, Noitu Love 2, Wyv and Keep, and Data Jammers: FastForward.