Assault Android Cactus is a twin-stick shooter developed and published by Witch Beam. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux in 2015, PlayStation 4 in 2016, Xbox One in 2017 and Nintendo Switch in 2019. An enhanced version for the Switch was released in 2019 as Assault Android Cactus+.
| Assault Android Cactus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Witch Beam |
| Publisher(s) | Witch Beam |
| Composer(s) | Jeff van Dyck |
| Engine | |
| Platform(s) | Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Multidirectional shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Gameplay
editAssault Android Cactus is a twin-stick shooter played primarily from a quarter-down perspective.[1][2] The Player takes control of one of nine Androids, the first of which being Cactus, an Interplanetary Police Department (IPPD) junior constable, who crashes her ship into a space freighter 'Genki Star'. The player must fight through hordes of rogue robots to take back control of the Genki Star.[1] The game can be played in single-player or in local cooperative play with up to four players.[3][2] The game features four game modes: a story, campaign, a challenging 50 layer mode, Infinity Drive, daily challenges, Daily Drive, and boss rush mode.[2] The game has nine playable androids to choose from,[2] each of which have a different combination of primary and secondary weapons.[1] The game includes 25 stages which morph and transform as the level progresses.[2][1]
Development
editAssault Android Cactus was developed and published by Brisbane-based video game development studio Witch Beam.[2][1] One of the game's developers, Sanatana Mishra noted that the team's decision to not launch the game on Xbox One video game console was due to the ID@Xbox parity clause which required developers to launch their games on Xbox One the same day as other platforms.[4]
Release
editThe development team were originally targeting a January 2014 release for Assault Android Cactus.[2] However the game was officially released for Windows, OS X, and Linux on 23 September 2015, after launching from early access.[2] A PlayStation 4 version was released on 8 March 2016.[5] The game was initially in development for the PlayStation Vita and Wii U but did not release on those platforms.[2] The game, with Xbox One X enhancements which include native 4K 60fps support and an optional developer commentary, was released on 7 November 2017.[6][7]
Announced in February 2019, an expanded port for the Nintendo Switch known as Assault Android Cactus+ was released on 8 March 2019.[8]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 79/100 (PC)[9] 85/100 (PS4)[10] |
| OpenCritic | 83/100[11] 80% Critics Recommend |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9/10[1] |
| GameRevolution | 3.5/5[12] |
| IGN | 8.8/10[13] |
| The Escapist |   [14] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 3.5/5[15] |
| Push Square | 7/10[5] |
| Slant Magazine | [16] |
Assault Android Cactus received "generally favorable" reviews from critics according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[9][10]
Accolades
editAssault Android Cactus won the award for "Best Action Game" at Intel Level Up 2013.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Carter, Chris (28 October 2015). "Review: Assault Android Cactus". Destructoid. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Labella, Anthony (23 September 2015). "Assault Android Cactus Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ O'Connor, Alice (24 September 2015). "Twin-Stick Shootyfun: Assault Android Cactus Released". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (9 December 2013). "Microsoft's ID@Xbox policy means this indie twin-stick shooter can't launch on Xbox One". Eurogamer. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ a b Fitzgerald, Simon (28 March 2016). "Review: Assault Android Cactus". Push Square. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ "ABOUT". www.assaultandroidcactus.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
- ^ Witch Beam (2017-10-25), Assault Android Cactus - Xbox One Release Date Trailer, retrieved 2017-11-03
- ^ Doolan, Liam (February 21, 2019). "Assault Android Cactus Finally Blasts Onto Nintendo's eShop This March". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "Assault Android Cactus for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Assault Android Cactus for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ "Assault Android Cactus". OpenCritic.
- ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (23 September 2015). "Twin-stick shooter Assault Android Cactus emerges from Early Access". Eurogamer. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Shea, Cam (27 September 2015). "Assault Android Cactus review". IGN. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Hidalgo, Taylor (3 October 2015). "Assault Android Cactus Review - Twin Stick Shooting Excellence". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Cunningham, James (23 September 2015). "Review: Assault Android Cactus". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Clark, Justin (9 March 2016). "Assault Android Cactus". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ "Hall of Glory". Archived from the original on 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
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