Ion Assault

 Xbox 360
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Gameplanet
    90
    Ion Assault is one of the most enjoyable Xbox Live Arcade games that you can find. With impressive and completely original particle-based game play, there is never a dull moment. A must have for anybody who owns an Xbox 360.
  2. Gaming Nexus
    83
    Ion Assault is tricky and fun. Rife with pleasant colors and sounds, the game was an enjoyable shoot ‘em up experience with diversity in the form of enemies and power-ups.
  3. GameShark
    83
    It offers a relatively fresh take on a well-established genre, with polished graphics and all the asteroid-blasting pleasure you can find this side of 1979.
  5. NZGamer
    80
    Ion Assault is a well presented package that is a blast for short plays. It doesn't have as much meat as some other XBLA games, but I do see myself firing it up every now and again to kill some precious minutes (and asteroids).
  6. Eurogamer
    80
    Ion Assault is an extremely polished and well-executed twist on a very pure gaming genre.
  7. Eurogamer Italy
    80
    Ion Assault is a great multidirectional shooter that, thanks to its gameplay and visuals, will surely be able to excite and entertain any kind of gamer. Whether or not you're fond of this kind of games, you won’t regret the purchase.
  8. X-ONE Magazine UK
    80
    Nowhere near as much fun or as addictive as the competition. [Issue#52, p.104]
    All this publication's reviews
  9. TeamXbox
    80
    It’s a unique game, both visually and in terms of gameplay, which is impressive considering how derivative it seems at first glance.
  10. IGN
    78
    Thanks to the frustrating controls, short campaign and the slightly problematic chaos that comes with the action, only fans of the genre should fork over the ten dollar asking price. Still, that doesn’t mean that Ion Assault doesn’t provide colorful thrills by the truckload.
  11. GamerNode
    75
    If you're looking for an alternative to Geometry Wars and the rest of the clones residing on XBLA, Ion Assault is a decent choice given its slick presentation, clean graphics, and interesting take on the genre.
  12. Game Over Online
    75
    For the most part Ion Assault is a great game, though not without its flaws.

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2009

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. JohnnyToe
    Sep 24, 2009
    9
    I like the strategic twist that comes with the collect-shoot-collect mechanic. It's a fresh take on the modern shooter genre! Also I doI like the strategic twist that comes with the collect-shoot-collect mechanic. It's a fresh take on the modern shooter genre! Also I do not mind the controls that the first reviews complain about. After 10 to 15 minutes max. you know what you are doing. Overall I'm having more fun with it so far than I had with the other more "generic" twin stick shooters out there since Geometry Wars. For me its one of those games that are fun to play over and over again since you notice how your performance improves every time. Haven't had that in quite a while!… Full Review »
See all user reviews »