Axis of Snoozeville
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil proves that it's still possible to mess up a twin stick shooter.
Published: March 14, 2008
There are many things that the PlayStation Network is still short on right now (namely more meaty experiences like Adventure and RPG games), but twin-stick shooters is most certainly not one of them. Games like Super Stardust HD and Blast Factor have managed to establish to set a high water mark that few games can touch (personally, I think Super Stardust is one of the best games on the system) -- and a sub-par twin-sticker like Rocketmen certainly isn't going to come close.
Part of me digs the Flash Gordon-meets-SmashTV vibe of the game where 1950s space ships and laser guns hold the fore between levels of mindless shooting, but as soon as the middle of the first level, things just start to feel incredibly bland. The cutscenes in the game are actually just stiffly posed, canned shots from the in-game models themselves. Not only does this make the oft-excruciatingly long bits of mostly inane dialogue feel hacked-in (though there are occasionally a few chuckle-worthy lines), but there were times where the interface freaked out and cutscenes played out with all the normal background stuff happening.
Which brings me to another point: the game just doesn't feel finished. There's a decided lack of polish to the presentation, ranging from the aforementioned cutscenes to the absolutely infuriating camera that regularly blocks off the alternate pathways in which you're graded for finding/exploring at the end of the level, the enemies are recycled almost constantly and the supposed power-ups you can apply to your character don't seem to have any tangible effect, even when maxed out. Weapons fare a little better because you can actually customize different attributes for them, adding range or power and the like, but you're going to have to suffer through plenty of waves of identical enemies while fighting the camera the whole way to get to the point where you can make serious upgrades.
If trudging through the game solo is an exercise in pain, it's something of a digital analgesic to have someone playing alongside you. Since there was never really anyone online, the only options were local multiplayer, and at that the game at least succeeds at being mildly entertaining, but co-op trudges can only be so interesting for so long, and the game's rote re-usage of enemies and fairly minimalist approach to the levels just made it all smear together without ever really entertaining either of us.
Maybe it's just frustration at what could have been. There's certainly potential here in the world and characters that were apparently lifted from a "constructable strategy game" hint at the beginnings of what could be a decent franchise were some of the game's core mechanics given more time to bake, but overall, it feels like a cheap, rushed cash-in that capitalizes on a license nobody has heard of while doing nothing to sell it to a new audience.
Should developer A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games manage to get the chance to do this again, they may consider doing a little bit more research into franchises like Snowblind's Champions series, games that aren't terribly deep fundamentally, but somehow manage to come off as more than just a mindless slog through look-alike tiled areas. I'm not saying Rocketmen can't stand on its own, but there has to be something there to get its hooks in. As it stands right now, they're fishing for new fans without a hook or bait.
Part of me digs the Flash Gordon-meets-SmashTV vibe of the game where 1950s space ships and laser guns hold the fore between levels of mindless shooting, but as soon as the middle of the first level, things just start to feel incredibly bland. The cutscenes in the game are actually just stiffly posed, canned shots from the in-game models themselves. Not only does this make the oft-excruciatingly long bits of mostly inane dialogue feel hacked-in (though there are occasionally a few chuckle-worthy lines), but there were times where the interface freaked out and cutscenes played out with all the normal background stuff happening.
Which brings me to another point: the game just doesn't feel finished. There's a decided lack of polish to the presentation, ranging from the aforementioned cutscenes to the absolutely infuriating camera that regularly blocks off the alternate pathways in which you're graded for finding/exploring at the end of the level, the enemies are recycled almost constantly and the supposed power-ups you can apply to your character don't seem to have any tangible effect, even when maxed out. Weapons fare a little better because you can actually customize different attributes for them, adding range or power and the like, but you're going to have to suffer through plenty of waves of identical enemies while fighting the camera the whole way to get to the point where you can make serious upgrades.
If trudging through the game solo is an exercise in pain, it's something of a digital analgesic to have someone playing alongside you. Since there was never really anyone online, the only options were local multiplayer, and at that the game at least succeeds at being mildly entertaining, but co-op trudges can only be so interesting for so long, and the game's rote re-usage of enemies and fairly minimalist approach to the levels just made it all smear together without ever really entertaining either of us.
Maybe it's just frustration at what could have been. There's certainly potential here in the world and characters that were apparently lifted from a "constructable strategy game" hint at the beginnings of what could be a decent franchise were some of the game's core mechanics given more time to bake, but overall, it feels like a cheap, rushed cash-in that capitalizes on a license nobody has heard of while doing nothing to sell it to a new audience.
Should developer A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games manage to get the chance to do this again, they may consider doing a little bit more research into franchises like Snowblind's Champions series, games that aren't terribly deep fundamentally, but somehow manage to come off as more than just a mindless slog through look-alike tiled areas. I'm not saying Rocketmen can't stand on its own, but there has to be something there to get its hooks in. As it stands right now, they're fishing for new fans without a hook or bait.