Assault Android Cactus

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 34
  3. Negative: 6 out of 34

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  1. Apolsc
    Oct 8, 2015
    8
    This twin shooter is very, fun really engaging and quite challenging, the character design is well achieved and the sound effects and music are top notch.
  2. budwheizzah
    Jan 21, 2014
    10
    Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Where the HECK did this little gem fall from?! I bought this game with absolutely NO expectations... I started with the demo to see if the game would run in S3D using Tridef Ignition. Sure enough put aside a few shadow issues, it worked!
    Go figure I'm not even a big fan of twin stick shooters - mostly because I'm a keyboard/mouse kinda guy, not able to carry the    Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Where the HECK did this little gem fall from?! I bought this game with absolutely NO expectations... I started with the demo to see if the game would run in S3D using Tridef Ignition. Sure enough put aside a few shadow issues, it worked!
    Go figure I'm not even a big fan of twin stick shooters - mostly because I'm a keyboard/mouse kinda guy, not able to carry the same skillset on a controller.

    Despite my shortcomings on control skill, this game is awesome. It's awesome, it's addictive, it's a blast. On your own, you'll have a lot to handle and need incredibly quick reflexes on your aim finger - often finding yourself completely surrounded with enemies all trying to rip your character's face off! It's a demanding twin stick shooter that carries with it a visual style that just makes you want to play "just another 15 minutes" over and over. It's hard to put the controller down.

    The visual styles are really a great fit. The characters are cute and the level end animations are funny. I even found Holly telling the boss "I'm here to stop you so uhm... stop it!" kinda funny... through small hints they unveil distinct character personalities. This was taking it beyond what I expected for 15$. The cherry on top.

    If you are a fan of twinstick shooters you should already own this title. If you aren't much for twinstick like me, do still consider this title. I did not regret my purchase.    … Expand
  3. arlends
    Jan 16, 2016
    10
    Easily one of the best top down shooters ever made. Assault android cactus brings fresh ideas to the gene. A must play game for anyone seeking some action packed robot blasting.
  4. xaxazak
    Oct 17, 2015
    9
    (Copied from Steam Review)

    While I typically prefer RTS and FPS games, AAC had a free demo so I tried it and was really surprised. It's extremely fun (even more than it looks like from the outside), and highly polished. It's fun to play seriously, with challenges of various difficulties, but it's also perfect as a casual multiplayer lounge game. If you're unsure, try the demo.    (Copied from Steam Review)

    While I typically prefer RTS and FPS games, AAC had a free demo so I tried it and was really surprised. It's extremely fun (even more than it looks like from the outside), and highly polished.

    It's fun to play seriously, with challenges of various difficulties, but it's also perfect as a casual multiplayer lounge game.

    If you're unsure, try the demo.

    Positives:

    - fun
    - purely skill-based
    - top sound & excellent music
    - crisp, polished graphics
    - linux
    - very friendly developers
    - local co-op

    Negatives (for me at least, others disagree on each):

    - almost no reason not to hold the fire button down constantly
    - scoring mechanism a little too formulaic
    - (spoiler removed (it's on my steam review) - minor negative)
    - only one standard difficulty level

    Overall, by far my favorite game on steam.    … Expand
  5. ivanmaquina79
    Aug 11, 2016
    10
    I love this game, the characters , dialogs, weapons, Bosses, Stages , playable, addictive to pass a great time with your friends, artistic designs character , and the Story, i hope the developers make a sequel of this great game ...
  6. Smatt--
    Nov 12, 2016
    8
    I got Assault Android Cactus with the latest humble bundle, so rather cheap. However this isn't to say that I wouldn't pay RRP for it given the chance now.

    The main campaign is about 3 hours along, and extremely exciting. The difficulty curve in this game is just about the right area, and it gets progressively challenging, with the final 3 / 4 levels giving you the anger which would    I got Assault Android Cactus with the latest humble bundle, so rather cheap. However this isn't to say that I wouldn't pay RRP for it given the chance now.

    The main campaign is about 3 hours along, and extremely exciting. The difficulty curve in this game is just about the right area, and it gets progressively challenging, with the final 3 / 4 levels giving you the anger which would make you want to rip your hair out. Naturally when you complete it you get a massive sense of achievement just from the final 2 levels alone.

    For the campaign, it is around 3 hours. There isn't much narrative to look into here, just a standard 2 stick shooter arcade game. Due to the mechanics in the game being solid, the lack of narrative does not harm whatsoever. The characters are only in the game to add some charm, there is nothing there to make you attached to them, you could have made this game with rather primitive shapes and I would still be giving it the same positive review I am now.

    The soundtrack can feel repetitive in places, but each zone has its own different style of music.

    The game does have a lot to offer when it comes to the replayability scale, it offers you new characters as you play throughout, all of which with their own unique pro's, con's and playstyles, you could do a run through with each character. After the main campaign you also unlock boss mode, there is a variety of game modes and collectables to keep you going, if you enjoy the game enough.

    For me, the 3 hours I spent in campaign were very refreshing after taking a back seat with games recently, and due to having a job, the 3 hours is good for now, and I'm happy with being able to pick up this game in the future.

    If you like a challenge, and good gameplay with some difficulty, definitely a must have. Would give it a solid 8/10.    … Expand
  7. Mezu5
    Dec 23, 2021
    9
    One of my favourite games even though I am not an avid fan of score attack or twin stick shooters.

    + Great feeling combat - high lethality in both ways with a way to reliably dodge damage. + Simple moveset with hidden depth - move, aim, shoot and dodge+switch weapon. Tying the two last actions into one input introduces a fair bit of hidden depth, as you need to make sure you can afford    One of my favourite games even though I am not an avid fan of score attack or twin stick shooters.

    + Great feeling combat - high lethality in both ways with a way to reliably dodge damage.
    + Simple moveset with hidden depth - move, aim, shoot and dodge+switch weapon. Tying the two last actions into one input introduces a fair bit of hidden depth, as you need to make sure you can afford losing access to your current weapon and stopping your attacks for a moment, since either could end up with you either dropping your combo or getting knocked down
    + A clever battery mechanic allows for a coop experience where no player is left behind. Players can get knocked down, but never killed - the failure state is only triggered when the battery, shared by all players, depletes. The battery level decreases over time, but can be replenished with an item that drops when you kill an enemy, but only after you've killed enough robots since the last recharge.
    + Fantastic enemy designs with meaningful synergies and a lot of variety.
    + Good (though not the best) level design with a lot of replayability thanks to leaderboards and a grade system that tracks your performance with each indifidual character separately, which motivates those who don't care about leaderboards and incentivises you to master all characters.
    + A lot of characters with totally different playstyles
    + A combo system that introduces depth into prioritising targets - dealing damage doesn't keep up the combo, only kills do, and you need to manage the crowd in a way that allows you to quickly kill a small or damaged enemy when the next target is too far, behind an obstacle or has too much health to be killed as quickly as the timer neccessitates.
    + Fantastic optimisation
    + 4 player local coop
    + Great bonus modifiers

    - Some levels have visuals that make enemies difficult to see
    - One really bad level
    - Slightly floaty keyboard controls (mouse is fine)
    - No mapping tools    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Riot Pixels
    Nov 30, 2015
    65
    If you’re not an avid fan of shoot-‘em-ups, you’d hardly look twice at this plain-looking game and its scanty arsenal of weapons.
    Read full review
  2. GameCritics
    Nov 27, 2015
    60
    Assault Android Cactus is good, but it used to be great.
    Read full review
  3. Destructoid
    Oct 28, 2015
    90
    Assault Android Cactus kind of snuck up on me, and is easily one of my favorite shooters of the year. I'm really interested in seeing what developer Witch Beam comes up with next.
    Read full review
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