by V R Rutledge

Created on: July 06, 2008   Last Updated: November 04, 2011

Martians vs Robots is a shooter game. The graphics are interesting, and it captures the player quickly. The 3D arena allows you to maneuver in four directions to destroy enemies and asteroids. When you do, you gain either weapon upgrades, for asteroids, or points, for enemies. Either way it gives you that feeling of accomplishment. That's one measure of a good game, the thrill of victory, even if you're losing

When I started the game, from the craft selection to the final shot, I was absorbed. I normally don't go in for shooter games, but the game play here was just hard enough, without being an overwhelming stress maker, to give me excitement. I found myself, when I played the demo, thinking about buying the game, just to have more time to explore the options. The game has the feeling that the old console games had, when Pong and its genre were all you had, with vastly improved graphics, sound and control. I'll fore go the obvious reference to Asteroids, because anyone can see the resemblance. I found myself not wanting to quit and write my review, because I thought I could do better in the game. I justified my extra trips through the demo as being more research, to see how the game faired when you got a higher score. Even though I knew this was a good game within thirty seconds of starting it, It really isn't worth the cost of a full version.

After playing it for a short while, you begin to feel boxed in by the barriers which surround the playing field, and you are frustrated by having to shoot the targets so many times to destroy them. With the time limit, you never seem to have enough time to advance in the next round. You have to master the controls, for me it took both hands, and work toward some goal that isn't explained in the demo. All in all, though, it was fun to play, if not worth the cost of a full version. It simply wasn't that much fun.

Insofar as a rating goes, I'll give game play 3/5, because I haven't enjoyed a game more than this since my Atari broke down. Sound, in my opinion, only reaches 3/5 because it is not annoying. Graphics are 3/5 because, while they add to the feel of the game without being a distraction, they don't live up to the name of the game. Innovation is only 2/5 because it isn't exactly a new idea, and it could have been better. I'll give this game an overall score of 3/5 with the added comment that it's really not worth the cost of a full version.

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