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Assault Heroes Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Assault Heroes Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Arcade Assault

It’s hard to believe that more than three years have passed since Assault Heroes debuted on Xbox LIVE Arcade, and even harder to believe that it’s taken this long for Wanako Studios to bring the game to PSN (via Konami, because original publisher Sierra no longer exists). If you own both consoles, you should stick to the XBLA version: The new version costs twice as much ($9.99 vs. $5), and it’s a straight port. If you have only a PS3, though, you absolutely must download this game, because even at $9.99 it’s a great buy.

Assault Heroes screenshot

Assault Heroes is an old-school top-down combat shooter. As the sole surviving member of an elite unit, you control various military vehicles that cross land and sea in search of an underground lab that contains weapons secrets. Your right stick enables you to shoot in all directions, and you can scroll through and upgrade various weapons: a minigun, a flamethrower, missiles, grenades, and screen-clearing nukes. With the press of a button, you can jump out of your vehicle and fight on foot, which brings in more points but can cost you a life. When your vehicle sustains too much damage, you have to fight on foot briefly until it respawns, but when you die on foot, you lose a life.

The game certainly feels familiar, but it stands out in several ways. First is the difficulty. Whereas many arcade shooters are nearly impossible for a casual gamer to beat without resorting to infinite lives, Assault Heroes provides three reasonable settings that will challenge but rarely frustrate gamers of all skill levels (at least until the final scene; more on that in a bit). Whenever you clear an entire area (there are 17 total), you unlock the next one as a starting point for the next time you play, so even on the harder settings, you don’t have to play the beginning stages over and over without ever seeing the later ones.

There are also checkpoints, which disappear when you quit but can help you through the tougher stages. You’ll appreciate them in the game’s later areas, where enemies seem to pour out of every available crevice. Also, health regenerates, so if you can clear a screen or so without dying, you can wait for it to recharge.

The hardcore need not fear, however. In addition to ramping up the difficulty, those seeking a challenge can try for the achievements or trophies. One of these involves clearing all of the special underground areas, which are especially hard because you can only fight on foot, and a single death sends you back above ground to finish the regular stage.

Assault Heroes screenshot

The boss battles are another highlight. They’re not particularly unique (big monsters, mostly), but avoiding their big and highly damaging attacks can really get a player’s blood flowing. Their patterns are complicated enough that you’ll spend some time analyzing and learning them, but not random or punitive enough to make the fights seem unfair.

Assault Heroes features both local and online co-op, though there are no competitive modes. We found it a lot of fun to blast through the game with a friend, and it’s a great way to beat some levels on higher difficulty settings. Unfortunately, we haven’t had much luck finding matches online, so Internet gamers should arrange to play with friends instead of expecting the network to provide partners.

In terms of graphics, the game is no slouch, with a lot of variety and a fair amount of detail to both the underground and open-air environments. The cutscenes at the beginning of each section won’t wow anyone, but they look decent, and they’re too brief to interfere with the game anyway.

Assault Heroes screenshot

Since the game’s release, however, other downloadable titles (such as Shadow Complex) have pushed the graphics envelope, and Assault Heroes is no longer at the front of the pack. For this reason, we wish the developers had used their three years of downtime to punch up the visuals a bit, making the game feel at home in 2010 on the PSN (and give Xbox owners a reason to buy the new version), but it’s not the end of the world.

Assault Heroes screenshot

The sounds, meanwhile, are exactly what they should be: ominous-sounding rock music coupled with the usual assortment of explosions and gunshots. Along with the two-stick setup and current-generation graphics, the soundtrack helps the old-school gameplay seem fresh and exciting.

The only downside to the game is that the final scene is a bit too difficult, especially on medium difficulty and above. It’s a timed escape that requires you to run down a hallway that’s densely packed with enemies without slowing down. It’s a shame that, after getting so far, so many casual gamers will probably just give up. To look at the bright side, re-trying this scene endlessly adds to the total playtime, which is only a few hours without it.

Assault Heroes is a simple game to learn, but there are many levels to work through, tough bosses to kill, and plenty of ways to challenge oneself. Every fan of action games should download it in some form. While the new PSN version add nothing to the game and costs more, it brings a great game to lots of new fans, and it deserves credit for that. Let’s hope that 2008’s Assault Heroes 2, another great XBLA title, will get the same treatment.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.2 Graphics
Other games have pushed the graphics envelope since this title debuted, but it holds up relatively well. 4.8 Control
The game utilizes the standard two-stick setup for arcade shooters, and it plays smoothly. 4.5 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The sounds are exactly what they should be: ominous rock music and huge explosions. 4.2 Play Value
Whether you’re paying $5 or $9.99, this is a worthwhile buy, providing hours of fun and lots of play options. 4.3 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Multiplayer co-op mode: Two players may play co-operatively online or offline (same screen) with enhanced weapons and special attacks to encourage team-based campaigns.
  • Dynamic gameplay: Operate an armed 4×4, speed boat, or simply fight on foot for a quick change of pace.
  • Arsenal of weapons: Equip characters with miniguns, flak cannons, flamethrowers, grenades, and nukes to destroy everything in your path.
  • Realistic special effects: Destructible terrain and advanced physics engine provide a truly engaging arcade experience.
  • Highly detailed graphics: Vehicles leave tracks in the sand, send parts flying when they explode, and leave smoke trails when taking damage.
  • Action-packed experience: Challenging and graphically compelling levels (including bonus sublevels) for fast-paced and addictive play.

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