Is Small Arms the indy game we've been waiting for? Full Review Inside
Today, I made an exception. When I tried the demo of this game, I was having the time of my life, so I decided I would go for it, and buy the game.
So, first off, you're given a tutorial level. It shows you through the basics of the game, telling you how to jump, shoot, dash, swap weapons and do the basic functions of the game.
When you go into Mission mode, the main part of single player, you get to choose from 8 of the 12 possible characters. The additional 4 must be unlocked through the single player. Mission mode is pretty straight forward. You and either 1-3 other characters are put into one of the arenas and must battle to the death. The gameplay is very frantic and exciting, even though the AI is very difficult to beat.
Then, after a bit of that, you'll of course decide to go on Xbox Live. That is definetly the highlight of the game. Being able to play with 3 other people online with voice chat is spectacular. Plus, there is no noticeable lag.
The graphics in this game are very impressive for an Arcade game. It is quite detailed and the effects look great. The menu's are also very fitting with this game's personality. It feels like the evil twin of Super Smash Brothers.
The audio is pretty weak here, with really no music and only sound effects to be heard. It would have been nice to have a rock or hip hop soundtrack, although, for an arcade game, what can you expect?
The controls feel really good, unless you use A as the jump button. Please, if you get this game, know that you can use the Right Bumper for jumping instead. It works a lot better, trust me. Using A and trying to shoot at the same time is near impossible.
I think the characters in this game are really well designed, with exciting weapons, and fun bios. They may not be as developed as the Nintendo characters, but for an Indy developer, what do you expect?
The achievements are well done, making it just difficult enough to make you work for them. The achievement that you have to "Catch" from other people online is kind of a joke, because I got it in my very first match.
In the end, for 800 points, I really believe this is the greatest game out there for the Arcade. The game is quite similar in many ways to Super Smash, and I think any fans of the genre owe it to themselves to pick up this great game.
Positives:
+ Exciting, Fast-Paced Gameplay
+ Good looking models and effects
+ Well designed levels
+ The best multiplayer on the Arcade
Negatives:
- No team play
- Weak audio
- This game is addicting