Occasionally here at Player2.net.au, we will play something that deserves your attention but probably doesn’t need a full review written for it. Be it DLC for the latest AAA title, a little indie game or even an Android/iOS title. We play these titles for a blockbusting amount of time (2 – 5 hours) and report back to you the reader on what we found. So grab your popcorn and settle in for the latest episode of Blockbuster Gaming.
Blockbuster Gaming – Super Mutant Alien Assault – Full Release
PC, PS4, Xbox One
By now I hope that everyone has already had the opportunity to see Matt’s Early Access Review of Super Mutant Alien Assault when it released on PC last year. I too scored a code for the game when it released on the platform, however, it was one that I never got around to, until now – the game’s console release. Having now invested a great number of hours into the game, I took some time to reflect on the opinions shared by Matt in his initial review – taking some time to assess how the game has translated to the console space/market – and it lead to the review that follows.
Super Mutant Alien Assault is an exceptional arcade experience, and I’m especially thankful for it’s release this century – ensuring that I could play it on a console and not trade $1 per play at an arcade machine – I will have lost a lot of money that way. Super Mutant Alien Assault has had me under its thumb for quite some time now. It’s brutally tough at times, but has some very clear rules, that if you follow them, will ensure success for the player, and a lot of enjoyment as well.
The moment to moment action is incredibly polished, a necessity of any fast paced action game such as this. Bullets are flying left, right and centre while you’ll be required to utilise every round in your gun, take advantage of your special abilities, toss out every explosive you have and when you’ve run out of all of that – whip out your sidearm, and blast away in the hopes that you survive. As each level progresses, your opponents mutate and get tougher, – should you leave an enemy to their own devices they’ll only become much more difficult to take down, so sweeping across the procedurally generated map and not locking down one corner is extremely important.
One of the coolest aspects of the game was the progression system. Sure, there were some unlocks attached to the completion of specific levels, but a number of unlocks stemmed from completing a simple raw number of levels – so if you are finding hard to get through that final boss, keep persisting. If you complete enough levels and hit a predetermined threshold of overall levels completed you’ll be gifted some sort of unlock; a pivotal moment for me was when I unlocked a weapon that resembled a pogo-stick and this made the hurdle of defeating a particular boss, a much easier one to jump.
What is quite unfortunate however is that there’s not a great deal of content that you’re getting for your purchase. Three core stages and an endless mode which you’re initially locked out of are all that you have to enjoy, so if the core grind isn’t too your liking then you’ve got nought you can do from here. Pleasingly you can play the game co-operatively which made for a much more awesome, but also dramatically more chaotic experience.
One of the coolest things about Super Mutant Alien Assault is that no matter your level of ability, progress is always being made. The rapid fire gameplay also means that a society, where we all seem to not have enough hours in a day, you can easily pick up a controller, smash out a quick 10-15 minutes of play and then continue your day. Despite a lack of content, there is still so much depth, and so much to enjoy out of Super Mutant Alien Assault, so if you’re looking at your game library and realise you’re lacking in awesome arcade shooters, this is definitely worth picking up.
Paul James
