Assault Android Cactus (PlayStation 4) Review

Assault Android Cactus is a top down shooter with the mentality of a bullet hell shooter; as one of nine selectable androids, all of which are female, the goal in each level is to eliminate all enemy robots. These robots have gone rogue due to the ship's AI system, and, at the end of each section of the robot infested ship, there's a boss fight against one of the AI's control units. As stated before, the game plays like a top down shooter, but the emphasis on getting a high score in each level, by killing enemies and dodging large amounts of projectiles, is very reminiscent of a bullet hell shooter.

When the game begins there are four different androids to choose from, and new ones are unlocked as players progress through the game's five acts. Each android uses a unique primary weapon and a special weapon that runs on a meter; swapping weapons is done by pressing L1. Switching weapons provides a few brief seconds of invulnerability, which, when timed correctly, can be used to dodge multiple attacks. The polished controls and well-designed levels encourage players to try out the different androids; as an example, for boss fights Starch is most recommended, as her laser weapon and missile barrage secondary attack are very useful in these encounters.

An interesting mechanic is the game's health system; there are two energy bars, one for the character's life and the other for the character's battery. If a character loses all health, they can be revived by rapidly tapping R2, although points will be deducted from the score; on the flip side, if losing all battery energy is game over. The battery is recharged by picking up collectibles dropped by enemies; additionally, bad guys will drop power-ups that increase movement speed, provide additional firepower, or unleash an EMP attack that briefly disables enemies and bosses.

Despite the frantic action happening in each level, Assault Android Cactus is fair in its difficulty and challenge; the robots are numerous, but paying attention to the carnage happening onscreen and choosing the right android for the level will prevent multiple deaths. The real challenge comes from the scoring system: at the end of each level players are graded on how well they did during combat, and a high combo count while not dying repeatedly means a higher score and higher rank. In addition to the campaign there's also an infinity mode in which the goal is to kill as many enemies as possible until the android's battery runs dry, and a daily challenge mode.