RESEARCH and DESTROY (Nintendo Switch) Review

"War… war never happens" is said in the intro, giving the first sample of the game's comedic, tongue-in-cheek tone, while also explaining the main idea, which is that humans, in their arrogance, have disappeared from the face of the earth, which is now the home of the 'Supernaturals;' magic creatures of all kinds, mainly from the world of horror, like werewolves, zombies, ghosts, and the like. If you expect some kind of survival horror dystopia, you can forget all about it. The bestiary on offer is basically the cartoon version of the Universal Monsters cast, which was already somewhat cartoony to begin with. It's Ghostbusters meets Scooby-Doo, with a trio of stereotypical scientists rather than a bunch of stoned teenagers… and no dog, sadly.

Yes, RESEARCH and DESTROY wants to give you a big smile. The writing isn't comedy gold, but it will keep you entertained, mainly because it knows when to stop with the cut-scenes, and just let you play the darn thing. Gameplay-wise this is a turn-based strategy, with you moving the three scientists around a 3D battlefield, with the purpose being to wipeout the opposition, reach a point of interest, or "research" specific items that are scattered around. The tricky bit is that, unlike most games of its kind, turns are counted in semi-real time, as everything apart from looking around "eats up" seconds. Everything!

Each character has about eight seconds to spend, so one must think where to move, and be quick with aiming and shooting, which is done real-time, like in any third-person shooter. This unique timed/turn-based system makes the whole thing far more exciting, especially when it comes to the gunplay, as you need to make each second (and pull of the trigger) count. Being a strategy game, you also need to think, and think fast. Want to reach an area faster? Then you need to holster your weapon (which takes time). Enemies have appeared? Then you must unholster it (which takes even more time). Time is the most precious resource here - more than health in fact.

Weapons are quite diverse, with some spewing out arcs of energy that are great for harming enemies that are close by, while others act as sniper rifles that deal major damage, but eat more time, and need a steadier hand. The enemies are also a varied bunch, with some being fast and numerous, some being able to "curse" you from afar, and many more. There is also a nice game inside the game, which takes place outside the arena, where you can spend $cience points and do some research, which will unlock more areas to fight, and improve your arsenal. It's a relatively simple part, but it manages to be fun, and thankfully doesn't kill much of your time. In the end, however, it all boils down to how enjoyable the battles are. Sadly, while they are quite so, repetition will soon creep in.

There are two problems with RESEARCH and DESTROY. The first is that it doesn't really have the depth expected from a turn-based strategy the likes of X-COM and so on. This isn't one of those games that will really melt your brain. No, actually that's not correct. This can be quite challenging at times - it's just that it doesn't leave you much room to experiment and try out different solutions. The second, and far more annoying issue, is the fact that enemies constantly respawn. This essentially throws tactics out of the window, as you never know where the next batch of baddies will crawl from, making this feel less like a game of tactics, and more like a shooter - just one that's a turn-based one.

This makes each map last far longer than it would otherwise, adding to the repetition. Oh, yeah. RESEARCH and DESTROY can be very repetitive, even without the respawning enemies. Almost 90% of this revolves around going from A to B, killing enemies, researching items, and escaping… which needs even more waiting. The existence of a co-op mode makes the flaws much easier to stomach, and, truth be told, even with its issues, this remains a fun ride, but it could be so much more with a better understanding of what makes some strategy titles better than others. If anything, this critic would certainly try out a potential sequel if it ever sees the light of day… or moonlight.