Review by George Bailey
Why can't games be fun like they used to be? I don't know what is wrong with developers these days but many of lost the essence of what a game should be about. I am delighted to report this is not the case in Metal Arms: Glitch in the System, the acknowledged sleeper hit of the year. Finally, a game that's a blast to play and very funny too.
It Plays Well
Basically you play the role of Glitch, the spunky little yellow robot that could. Sure he's cute with his jaunty movement and bouncing antenna but beware his bite. He's loaded with massive firepower and can take on the most powerful of the robots in the game. But make no mistake--this isn't a kiddy title. Lots of rough language is used with the "F" word being bleeped out. So parents, you are warned. Your job is to follow through with a series of missions (some 40 in all). Glitch is on a mission to save his fellow droids from the evil General Corrosive.
This is a third person shooter with first person shooter style. The control setup is exactly like the one found in Halo complete with an aiming reticle that glows red when a target is spotted. Violence abounds with some of the most spectacular explosions to be seen in a game of this type. You can hit your enemies with core charges or blow them up with the rocket launcher. The action is fast and frenetic. The levels are all rather straightforward and it's easy to get from point to point without spending a lot of time wondering about wondering what to do next.
Glitch is given a first-rate arsenal and three vehicles to ride and shoot from. The arsenal features quite a diverse collection weapons from rivet guns to rocket launchers to flame throwers. Various side weapons for tossing like core charges are available-others features EM effects for disturbing robots so they can be more easily dispatched.
One of the most talked about and unique features of Metal Arms is the tether control. By accessing a control station (or later on a portable control tether device) you can get control of another robot and send him in to do your dirty work for you. It's a great feature because the tethered robot and clear out a path for you. Another cool thing is when you acquire the Recruiter Grenade. Toss one of these at your foes and it'll reprogram them to be your allies. Not all robots are susceptible to this grenade but it's cool to use and it gives great variety in game play.
Another outstanding feature of this game is the outstanding level design. There is a sense of discovery as you go through every level. There are new situations to do deal with--new battles to be fought, new weapons and skills to obtain, new vistas to explore. It's all a variation on a theme, but what variations! The pacing is great too.
The combat is really quite engaging. It reminds me a lot of Halo. No two battles are exactly the same and there's a lot of diversity in how you approach each battle or level you have to clear. You can go in with guns blazing or take cover behind objects and slowly slug your way through. I've found the robot AI to be pretty good. Sure, they pursue you in droves but throw a coring charge at them and they'll hit the dirt. Some will run off.
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My only complaint here is the placing of checkpoints. Seen in most games, it's known as a "soft save." It's a good feature to get you back to your last point in case you are killed off, but in Metal Arms you can't save at the check points-you have to place all the way through a level. Some are short, and some can very long. And, if you get killed off a lot-something that happens frequently-then you had better stick it out to get through a level.
It Looks Great
The visuals in Metal Arms are outstanding in many special ways. There's plenty of metal about, both as junk and in the architecture to the robots themselves. The textures on them are very nice, particularly the shiny surfaces that gleam in the light and the rust textures. Glitch is very well modeled and features various damage effects, when his health gets low. The robotic animations are very well done too.
I think the highlight of the graphics is in the explosions. They are spectacular! And never get boring to look at. They are very realistic when you nail a robot and he explodes in a shower of parts and pieces leaving small fires dotted about. A partial hit will have them wilding shooting about or just acting goofy. In just about every level there is something to blow up, be it fuel tanks, warheads, missiles and so on.
Really, the only glaring problem with the graphics is the tearing issue you may have heard about. It's only seen it with panning the view about so it's not a major determent from the visual quality of the game but it is still inexcusable due to that fact that the Xbox features the most powerful graphics chip of any console on the market. Hopefully in a feature sequel this problem will be addressed and fixed.
Sound
All of the games sounds are very nicely done. The explosions and weapons sounds are all very authentic. The voice acting features a lot of character and is as frenetic as the action and quite humorous at points. It's kind of funny to hear a robot scream in pain and fear while being blasted. Yeah, like he would actually feel anything. Some have maniacal laughter. I had one take a cheap shot at me laugh his head off…well, before I capped him good.
Colonel Alloy is the main potty-mouth of the game although his voice acting is really good. He's the gruff type that'll send Glitch instructions on his mission objectives. The amount of swearing this character does is frankly, inappropriate and has no place in a game like this. The
Colonel Alloy character has enough personality already without resorting this nonsense.
Overall
Metal Arms is a great game. Some has called it the best shooter since Halo and I would agree. It's fun; it features engaging combat, great explosions, diverse missions and locales, superb level design, interesting and assorted environments, multiplayer, and lots of inventive touches that make it stand out from the pack. Sleeper hit of the year, yes, but very close to game of the year
also. No Xbox Live support? Who cares? I hope it takes off, as it's a blast to play.
4.5/5
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