Robots Under Attack! - Switch Review

Robots Under Attack! is an arrow shooting puzzle game that gives you only a small amount of ammunition in order to shoot them, crush them, blow them up and more. With a variety of different arrows to choose from, each with their own unique properties, there’s never a dull moment when robots are under attack.

Gameplay

Within each level, there are four different types of arrows to choose from: Regular, Fire, Rocket and Heavy. Each are used for different situations and allows for more puzzle depth. Very rarely will a puzzle require the use of all four, with each level letting you know which arrows you have access to. For every arrow that you don’t use, you earn money. This currency can be used in the Shop for different Bows, which are purely cosmetic.

At the end of each level, you can obtain a Gold Star if you solve the puzzle with the least amount of arrows. This plays perfectly for perfectionists and completionists as I wanted my level selection to light up like the night sky.

It was odd that throughout the entire 100 levels in the game, there were only two boss fights – Level 50 and Level 100. Considering that the levels are grouped into lots of ten, it seemed from the beginning that there would be a boss fight of some kind at the end of each. These boss fights were also quite basic in design, with many levels being more difficult than the bosses themselves – level 99 was more challenging that level 100.

Throughout the entirety of Robots Under Attack!, not once was there a technical hiccup or frame rate dip. On top of this, I found no glitches, so I can safely say that Robots Under Attack! is a technically sound game.

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Having recently bought the physical copy of Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training, I have my very own Nintendo Switch stylus which works seamlessly with the touchscreen. As the entirety of Robots Under Attack! can be played in touchscreen, being the preferable with that control scheme, I loved using the stylus in this way. You can use standard controls to move the cursor, as well as the Joy-Cons disconnected with motion controls like a Wii Remote, however these methods felt very unintuitive. Also when playing with a controller or Joy-Cons, the game features no HD Rumble, which is always a shame for any Nintendo Switch port.

Level / Puzzle Design

When using the bow and arrow, you have a circle that you aim from in order to fire from a 360 degree starting point. This works well for manoeuvrability, being very intuitive and straightforward. On a negative note however, the occasional level placing the starting circle on the edge of the screen, meaning that if you are to take aim and your finger moves off the screen, it will fire the arrow as it will no longer detect your input. This created some frustrating moments where I was forced to restart as I am very much a perfectionist.

I found each puzzle to be significantly challenging, but not to a point where I was bashing my head against a wall. The game is suitable for players of all ages as it is easy to pick up but difficult to master. Puzzles included mechanisms such as lasers, teleporters, saws, switches (not the console kind) and more. With the goal of having to fire your arrows in a precise sequence through these mechanisms, the game presents a wide variety and is vastly impressive for its simplicity.

Graphics / Art Direction

The art design is very charming, with a notebook grid-based backdrop and all physical objects look like they are doodled on with pen. It reminds me of what I would have drawn at school as I completely ignored what the teacher was trying to teach me. The colours – whilst repetitive – also stand out well, clearly outlining objectives and never resulting in a second guess.

The grid-based backdrop acts not only as an aesthetically pleasing choice, but it also helps to aim your arrows in a more strategic manner. When graphics compliments gameplay, you know your graphics designer deserves a raise.

Music / Sound Design

With electronic sounds, the music isn’t exactly melodic, rather it serves as ambient noise that frankly grows mundane after a while. Despite the boss battles lacking in excitement, the music is much more exciting here; it’s just a shame that this only happens twice in the entire game.

Final Score: 74%

Packed with 100 levels, Robots Under Attack! is designed for quick pickup and play, making it a perfect fit on Nintendo Switch. Whilst the game misses the mark on its boss battles (or lack thereof) and its visual and audio variety, the gameplay is fun at its core and the puzzle design certainly tests the old noodle.

Thank you for checking out our Robots Under Attack! Switch review, thank you Julia Vasina for the review code and thank you to our $5 and up Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

• Andrew Caluzzi (Inca Studios / Camped Out!)
• Belinda Cubitt