Tesla vs Lovecraft

 Xbox One
Tesla vs Lovecraft Image
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

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  • Summary: Tesla vs Lovecraft is an intense top-down twin stick arena shooter. Play as the enigmatic inventor Nikola Tesla harnessing the static energy to power up Tesla-Mech and give the lovecraftian nightmares a lesson in horror!

    Tesla vs Lovecraft is a top-down twin stick shooter with goal based    Tesla vs Lovecraft is an intense top-down twin stick arena shooter. Play as the enigmatic inventor Nikola Tesla harnessing the static energy to power up Tesla-Mech and give the lovecraftian nightmares a lesson in horror!

    Tesla vs Lovecraft is a top-down twin stick shooter with goal based levels. The games highlight features are Quantum Teleportation, which allows the player to warp short distances even through solid objects, and the Tesla-Mech, which provides the player an immense boost to firepower for a limited time.

    Genre hallmarks such as a large arsenal of weapons, a multitude of player empowering perks, monster crushing powerups, and secondary weapon abilities are also included.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. TheXboxHub
    Mar 20, 2018
    80
    You may initially think that 10tons have gone mad by pitting the brains of Nikola Tesla against the weirdness of H.P. Lovecraft – and you’d be right. But whilst they are mad, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are wrong and once more they’ve managed to create another addictive little twin stick shooter.
  2. XBLA Fans
    Apr 2, 2018
    80
    Tesla vs Lovecraft is a great twin-stick shooter. I liked 10tons’ previous efforts, and I think this one is very satisfying to play. Its enemies, guns, perks and abilities are all varied and play well with each other, and the first time I stacked several 'one extra projectile fired per shot' perks and jumped in my mech, I couldn’t help but grin at the hail of bullets I was unleashing.
  3. GameGrin
    May 2, 2018
    80
    Tesla vs Lovecraft is a B-Movie style twin-stick shooter that hits all the right notes. Although a bit on the lengthy side, this title is worth every minute.
  4. Xbox Tavern
    Mar 17, 2018
    73
    Tesla VS Lovecraft is a game that doesn’t make you wait to get into the action, constantly giving you more and more powerful weapons to deal with the hordes before you. As a power fantasy, it is great, just don’t expect there to be much more than that, going in.
  5. Video Chums
    Mar 12, 2018
    70
    When it comes to twin-stick shooting, Tesla vs Lovecraft definitely has a solid foundation that's a ton of fun. However, the limited scope of what you can do limits the experience and ends up making it feel repetitive after only a short while.
  6. TrueAchievements
    Mar 20, 2018
    70
    Twin-stick shooters can either lose their charm quickly or provide some addictive gameplay, so it's fortunate that Tesla vs Lovecraft fits into the latter thanks to its fast-paced and gratifying design. The story is an odd one, but it doesn't detract from the monster killing, whether you're on your own or with a friend.
  7. Generación Xbox
    Mar 29, 2018
    70
    If you're looking for some action in your indie collection, you'll enjoy Tesla vs Lovecraft as a little boy. This double-stick arcade is well worth it despite its obvious weaknesses.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. GBG_Jason
    Mar 16, 2018
    8
    You’ll step into the shoes of Tesla as he takes down the forces of Lovecraft across multiple areas using a mech, standard weaponry, as well asYou’ll step into the shoes of Tesla as he takes down the forces of Lovecraft across multiple areas using a mech, standard weaponry, as well as some designs by the legendary inventor himself. Each level will either task the player with mowing down waves of enemies thrown at them, or completing basic tasks such as collecting items or destroying other non-threatening objects. Each level can be completed between a few seconds and a few minutes, with an entire playthrough on a single difficulty lasting a few hours through its 20+ levels. That said, there’s a decent amount of content to be found in this title.

    After completing a few tutorial levels and collecting all of the pieces needed to assemble your mech suit, you will begin each level in the suit, which is a limited ability that will drain quickly. Once it has been depleted you can collect the pieces again, as they will respawn at random points in the level and once complete, and you can activate the ability again at your leisure. In addition to the mech, you can teleport or dash through enemies and obstacles, which makes traversing the level and avoiding enemies quite easy on the standard difficulty. This ability can be used multiple times in succession and has a fairly quick recharge rate.

    The arsenal at your disposal is pretty normal for this type of game. You’ll start each level with a basic pistol and typically find various types of shotguns, machine guns, but being that this is Tesla, you’ll also find a gun that shoots lightning balls. You are able to carry one crowd-control ability in addition to one weapon at a time. While the abilities are limited to a set number of uses, the weapons feature unlimited ammo, although they must be reloaded. The biggest game changer will be the perks that modify how your weapons fire, with upgrades such as ammo bouncing off of walls, piercing groups of enemies, or multiple bullets being fired at the same time being up for grabs. I found the repeater shotgun (basically a fully automatic version) with the multi-shot and bouncing effects to be the most worthwhile. When you end up with a good roll, it’s amazing.

    During standard play you’ll level up Tesla and be given the option between one of two perks to apply to the character. The upgrades stack, so if you’re lucky enough to get multiples of the more devastating perks, you’ll want to take advantage of them. These come fairly often, but reset each time the player leaves the level, giving the title a rouge-lite feel. This works for the most part but can add frustration as well. Since the upgrades and weapons available are randomized, some of the more difficult levels will be harder if you don’t find something to even out the playing field, resulting in multiple attempts to complete the level.

    There are also permanent upgrades that can be applied to your character. These require the player to collect crystals that are rewarded for killing X number of a certain enemy, finishing levels, completing weekly bounties, and will appear randomly in higher levels as pickups. These upgrades do not change gameplay as much as the perks do mid-game, but they will help the player once reaching the higher difficulties. The biggest issue with these is the cost of the upgrades compared to how often you accrue them not being balanced. Having completed the first difficulty and being half way through the second as of this writing, I have only been able to purchase a few of these.

    Offering the high level of polish that 10tons LTD has been known for in its previous releases (Time Recoil, Jydge), the game controls like it should. The only thing I would have changed would have been removing the right trigger requirement to shoot and simply use the right stick. The enemies you face are well rendered and rarely blend into the level, which has been a bit of a setback in previous shmups. With the visuals being on par with most indie games you’ll find on the market, the graphics won’t disappoint, but are nothing to write home about. You’ll face off against spiders, blobs, and strange tentacles, among other ghastly stylized creatures that spew a respectable amount of purple blood upon death. While the bosses are simply larger versions of the normal enemies, they pose a decent challenge and require the player to strategically choose their upgrades early in these encounters.

    If you would like to take a friend with you on your journey into madness, the game offers local co-op play. Sadly, I did not have a companion available to play with, so I cannot comment on how well this works. For those that are into endless modes, the game has you covered, with the option being unlocked early into the game. If you’re a fan of the shmup genre or 10tons Ltd’s other work, you won’t be disappointed.    … Expand
  2. Peptide
    Mar 19, 2018
    8
    If you like twin-stick shooters, then this is as much of a MUST BUY as any game you've ever played.
    Visually beautiful although there is not    If you like twin-stick shooters, then this is as much of a MUST BUY as any game you've ever played.
    Visually beautiful although there is not much variation.
    Gun, ability, and perk selections are outstanding. I do wish however that there was a way to lock in with a specific weapon once you acquire it.
    REGARDING THE DIFFICULTY CURVE: The first of the 3 realms is a fair challenge. Its nice to earn new weapons and new perks. By the time you get to the 2nd realm, the difficulty really ramps up. I would have like to have seen a smoother increase in difficulty over the 3 realms. At the beginning of the 2nd realm, you will start to encounter levels that seem near impossible.
    Collecting crystals to upgrade or unlock abilities is very time consuming, but if you love the game-play, then its worth it.
    If you are someone who gets easily frustrated with games that suddenly get EXTREMELY difficult after a short period of time, then approach with caution. If you like a challenge then this is a no-brainer.
    I cannot wait for more games from this developer.    … Expand
  4. GamerGuysNGals
    Dec 13, 2020
    8
    I'm not a huge fan of the twin stick genre yet I found my self addicted to this one. I actually played it from start to finish in one sitting.I'm not a huge fan of the twin stick genre yet I found my self addicted to this one. I actually played it from start to finish in one sitting. I think it took around 3 to 4 hours to beat the first level of difficulty. There is three different levels of difficulty so this one is going to keep you busy a long time. That was playing it solo. you might be able to do it a little quicker with help. It has 2-4 player local coop. I imagine that would be a ton of fun I'll have to try it out next time I got friends over. As far as playing it solo it's challenging, but not to the point it's frustrating. I died a few times, but usually beat the level the next try. There are tons of levels. I didn't count them, but It's a really large map. It's loaded with levels. Each one spiking in difficulty as you go. Usually they introduce a new weapon, enemy, or ability as you go as well. There is tons of content and daily objectives that really add a lot of replay value to this one.

    You play as Tesla, and use many of his great inventions to take out Lovecraft and his many monsters. You have pistols, shotguns, energy weapons, and so so much more even EPIC weapons. So many weapons and even a Mech. You start each level with the Mech until it runs down, then you have to collect pieces of it to reassemble it to use again. You can also upgrade it to where it lasts longer. That is one of your many upgrades available to you. You upgrade using crystals you find while playing. There is just so many things in this game to make it feel fresh and fun from start to finish. Like Perks you will find as you play. each time you level up on a level you will get two random perks to choose from. Perks like 30% more health, 20% more weapon damage, bouncing bullets, and so much more. No way I could name them all. Like i said tons and tons of content.

    Weapons, Perks, and upgrades aren't the only thing there is tons of. Monsters galore !!! You will come across so many variations of monsters. each with different attacks and abilities. Some will explode leaving fire on the ground, some will shoot things at you, some will just run you down and try and melee you. There are a few bosses as well. I believe 3 to 4 of them. The final confrontation with Lovecraft is also very action packed and unforgettable. I also really enjoyed the art style in the cut scenes. I was pulled into the really entertaining about some really legendary characters. Tesla and Lovecraft are timeless characters in history, and this game does a excellent job of introducing them to a new generation of gamers.    … Expand
  5. Xbox_Alive
    Mar 16, 2018
    8
    The twin-stick shooting genre has been going for a long while now and over the years its spawned some classics which have made this particularThe twin-stick shooting genre has been going for a long while now and over the years its spawned some classics which have made this particular genre my go to genre. Tesla vs Lovecraft is the latest twin-stick shooter to come to the fore and whilst it doesn’t offer anything different from what you’ve already seen before it still manages to provide you with more than enough enjoyable moments. The gameplay that’s on offer in the game is an incredible amount of fun and the best thing is that the shooting elements remain tight and responsive throughout your playthrough. Whilst I enjoyed the gameplay a lot it does however get a little too difficult at times and it will cause you to have a few frustrating moments every now and then, but they do however do a good job of combating this problem. They combat this problem by offering you a co-op option and not only does that make things easier it also makes things more fun and enjoyable at the same time. In terms of content the game has more than enough for you to be getting on with and with the added unlockables the game is likely to keep you satisfied for quite a while. Some of the unlockables and perks though are unfortunately a little lacklustre and don’t improve you much, but thankfully most of them have been designed really well and they certainly beef up your attack. Something that surprised me about Tesla vs Lovecraft was the amount of stages the game has. There are an abundance of stages for you to sink your teeth into and the best thing is that each stage has a lot of variety present in them so that without a doubt keeps things fresh and interesting for longer. The game also has the bonus of a decent story and I found that it interacted with the gameplay extremely well, which is great. The presentation side of the game disappointed me a little bit and I was just hoping for a little bit more. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing bad here its just there isn’t much that stands out which can make things become a little tedious at times. At the end of the day as far as twin-stick shooters go Tesla vs Lovecraft is a decent addition to the genre. Don’t get me wrong there are better games out there, but it doesn’t get too much wrong and the stuff it does get right is the most important of elements. If you’re after a game that provides you with a lot of fun whilst retaining a challenge at the same time then you can do much worse than Tesla vs Lovecraft, and for that reason it gets a nice thumbs up from me.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best Xbox One Game of 2018
82
#82 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2018