If like me you enjoy playing a blast from the past, Ultratron will be right up your street, as it bears resemblance to the classic Robotron: 2084 title, except it has more of a modern feel with its techno soundtrack and neon graphics.
The twin stick shooter has you shooting at robotic enemies which spawn on the edge of the screen and gradually move towards you. As you progress more enemies start to spawn and the pace at which they move increases. After the first few levels it really starts to become quite a challenge and you’ll probably be screaming at your television in no time. As new enemies are introducing you’ll realise that the way they move vary and some take more damage than others.
The game is broken up into stages with a boss fight at the end, which can feel repetitive at times, but they also offer short bursts of gameplay, rather than a long slog of shooting enemies for an hour.
What makes the game so accessible is that you can pick up a controller and immediately start playing – using the left stick to move and the right stick to fire, with another button for your special bomb move, which clears the screens.
The clever part in the game design comes from the enemy drops, as each kill lands a small dot of game currency, which can be used to purchase upgrades for your robot character at the end of each level. You’ll only have a limited amount of time to pick this up, as it de-spawns over time.
Upgrades can vary from health to damage from your main weapon, so there’s lots of ways to spice up the gameplay. For example you might get an automatic collection of dots to save you the hassle of dashing around the screen chasing after dots that have just dropped.
In addition to the normal stages, there are also bonus levels such as killing all the spider bots, which helps to break up the monotous gameplay. Although, it never feels like it’s enough, as effectively you’re still shooting robots.
Local co-op can be a blast if you fancy a couch gaming session with your friends or other half, but it’s one of them games you can’t spend long on together. Not only that, but with all the action on-screen, it can get very confusing as to what’s going on.
The graphics and soundtrack stand out most of all in Ultratron, as the neon-lit levels highlight enemies and it’s clear to see everything in solo sessions. The soundtrack is also very fitting for the game and brings back a lot of fond memories if you’ve played Robotron before, but it has a more uplifting, modern feel.
If you’re into your twin stick shooters and like the classics, then Ultratron is definitely worth a look. The soundtrack and graphics are appealing and the gameplay has enough variation to keep things interesting for those who are fans to the genre. If you’re not a fan however, you’ll be throwing the controller down to the side after the first couple of levels.
Pros
- The ability to build different robots with upgrades
- Bonus levels to break up monotonous gameplay
- The funky techno soundtrack
Cons
- Can be a bit boring after a few levels
- Not much to do after one playthrough