Assault Android Cactus review

Who doesn’t like an action packed, fast paced gun toting fun power up laden shooting game? If you said Yes I wouldn’t recommend you read on as this Assault Android Cactus review on PS4 is going to tell you everything you need to know in order to make the wise decision to pick this little twin stick shooter up. Well pick it up is a bit inaccurate as its digital only so…

Assault Android Cactus is a play on some classic twin stick shooters. A genre that is continuing its legacy in Earnest on the Playstation 4 which to date has already amassed several hall of fame titles to choose from. So is Assault Android Cactus any different? Does it deserve to be considered amongst the worthy greats like Resogun? In short I believe it does.

Uniquely Assault Android Cactus has an all-female character cast. Just like the new Ghostbusters. It’s worth noting as to my memory is one of only a handful of games to do this in an industry still trying to learn how to integrate female protagonists into male driven environments and stereotypes. After all this is female gun wielding characters that have an arsenal of weaponry at their disposal to lay waste to the vast array of enemies.

In terms of story Assault Android Cactus is set in a sci-fi like universe and brought me back nostalgic memories of 80’s cartoon shows, I watched a plenty. Your investigation of a distress beacon in deep space finds you lost within enemy territory and crash landing on board an enemy ship. This sets the premise for why and where you are however the narrative is basic and the game isn’t built to tell a deep story is here to get you shooting and having a ton of fun whilst you do just that.

Spread across a range of levels, players must proceed through a linear in path completing one arena before moving onto the other. The levels are segmented nicely and offer a nice graphical take on a mission list. As you complete the easier levels you are then introduced to a boss fight. The game for me was fairly enjoyable but never really got challenging until faced with one of the sections end bosses. This is where you are challenged a lot more and given license to prove your skills with the various weapons and abilities each heroine has.

Crucially I found that selecting between heroines is necessary as each has their own unique set of abilities and weapons that will cater to defeating different forms of enemies. Each character you control has two main weapons primary and secondary. The secondary offering up more of a heavy hit option for dealing with the larger foes the game throws at you. Each weapon also has a perishable factor to hit. Either your ability needs to charge before a second use or your primary may overheat. It’s knowing when to shoot and when not to that can get you out of a tight spot.

“there’s even an additional reward for completing the campaign”

There’s four heroes to choose from the get go but as you progress through the different stages new hero’s become available which again have their own weapon set and unique abilities. There are some really great variations in these abilities as well and offer great gameplay experiences. However it did take me some time to understand changing out characters on the fly was possible and wouldn’t affect my progress. My initial impression was that character I selected for the story was the character I had to progress with, however you can start any level with any of the unlocked characters. In fact I would actively encourage this as it’s not only the best way to experience all the great abilities the game has to offer but it also helps you learn how to combat those tougher bosses. Not knowing what options and abilities other characters have will leave you in a tricky spot and getting that S level completion score will be pretty much impossible.  

“Campaign will offer a sizable number of levels and bosses to complete and their difficulty will range which will keep you coming back”

As you play through the campaign you can unlock an additional 5 playable characters and there’s even an additional reward for completing the campaign, we won’t spoil that for you mainly because that would be cruel but truthfully as I keep getting my ass handed to me on the final boss.

This game is no female cute fest looking for cuddles from your controller. It’s after your blood and frankly your fingers will hurt from the numerous efforts at trying to defeat either bosses or the waves of enemies that the game will punish you with. To make getting through each of the game’s dynamic maps are a series of powerups that typically supercharge your character in one way or another. Additional firepower will grant you some additional fire support to tear through some enemies, shutdown will launch an EMP like wave within a certain radiance and offers you opportunity to catch your breath. They are great in game additions and really add to the outstanding gameplay.

The sound in Assault Android Cactus is also pretty cool there’s a nice soundtrack to match the gameplay and some of the menu options allow you purchase some in game features that enable the music to match the rhythm of your gameplay. NecroDancer eat your heart out. A nice additional feature is how the game also utilises the hardware on the Playstation 4 with in game voice over coming through the Dualshock 4 controller. It’s identical to how it’s done in Resogun but it’s all aimed at narrating your power ups rather than saving something.

So the gameplay is simply brilliant but how much gameplay is there in Assault Android Cactus to sink your teeth into? Well there are several game modes out the box that will cater to the short burst or long haul player. Campaign will offer a sizable number of levels and bosses to complete and their difficulty will range which will keep you coming back. In addition you can tackle the campaign with one to four players so there’s plenty on offer for the coach co-op enthusiast.  

In addition to a campaign that supports one to four players and a boss rush mode that lets players tackle the bosses one after another, Assault Android Cactus also offers Daily Drive and Infinity Drive modes, providing hardcore players a chance to show off their skill in super tough modes.

In Infinity Drive you choose your best character (or the one you’ve mastered) and attempt to survive as long as possible against endless waves of increasingly difficult enemies and constantly changing stages, making every attempt feel different. On the other hand the Daily Drive challenges players to survive through ten randomly generated waves of enemies, but only gives them one chance per day so only leaderboards are live on each of these for 24 hours. I loved this feature in Nuclear Throne and delighted it’s also available in Assault Android Cactus.