The premise is simple: you’ll be given a pretty hefty set of tools to create your own robot and send it off to battle other players’The premise is simple: you’ll be given a pretty hefty set of tools to create your own robot and send it off to battle other players’ creations. After a quick tutorial you may realize that the controls are very similar to the Forge mode from the more recent Halo games, so it is easy to jump into as they are very user friendly. While some of the options are a bit hidden, such as changing the color of specific pieces with randomized schemes being the only option that can be found without entering another submenu, most of the tools are right in the forefront. You can select from a number of premade builds as a starting point, or you can use them outright if your imagination is not as vast as others. Of course, you can start with a blank canvas as well. This is where I’ve spent a bulk of my time, creating a number of crazy concoctions, as well as building some of my own versions of vehicles or characters from other franchises. The only area this is lacking is the ability to free draw or add small details, as each block or piece can only be changed to reflect a single color.Want to build an AT-AT? You got it. A rocket spewing rooster? Sure thing. How about a Prius with machine guns? Of course. The possibilities really are endless and only limited by your creativity. Once you’ve built your own rocket launcher equipped T-Rex, Batmobile, or tank, you can either take the bot for a test drive in the practice field, save it for later use, or share it for others from the community to download and use at their leisure. If building isn’t your game, this will be where you will find robots to use, as the game only provides a handful of generic builds from the get go. You can easily sort the creations by a number of options; however, their functionality will vary.Once you are ready to hit the battlefield, you can do so by selecting one of two game modes. There is a player match option which is a 5v5 team deathmatch in addition to a ranked option, which plays like Control from the Unreal Tournament series. There is a certain charm that will be found here, as you will likely never see the same robot twice. Either method requires a variety of robots, as each type of build has their own strengths and weaknesses; picking the right robot when actively playing as a team is key to victory. Sadly, you cannot change the robot once you have selected the combatant from the main menu prior to moving forward to the matchmaking system. This is a bit of a failed opportunity on many levels, as I accidentally selected an incomplete creation at one point, and was left sitting dead since I had yet to add wheels to the car selected. I also think the option to have your robot transform like those other bots in disguise would have added even more depth to the already vast creation options. While quitting does not carry a heavy penalty, repeated offenses result in a time out of sorts, preventing the player from playing online until the timer expires.Playing in the online mode will earn XP based on performance, which in turn earns the player loot crates which provide new creation items or base builds. While there is an option to purchase cosmetic crates for real money, there is no pay-to-win incentive to be found. The earned crates come at a steady pace and encourage you to revisit past builds to find new ways to improve or modify them with your new toys. The PvP modes play well, although they look a bit dated, with most of the levels reminding me of Blood Gulch from the original Halo. I feel that the modes offered are slightly bare bones, with many popular options such as free-for-all being omitted.Regardless of the mode selected, gameplay is fast and fun. You’ll take turns exchanging shots in real time as you slowly tear apart your enemy’s bot, which allows you to immobilize or remove specific weapons. This adds a significant layer of depth to both the creation of your robot, as well as where you choose to target your enemy. The game balances the health, damage rating, and speed based on the overall build of your robot in a fair manner, resulting in few battles simply ending due to being outmatched by the enemy’s robot. This is definitely a title that rewards functionality over appearance, so it will be up to the player to find a good balance unless they are simply looking to show off.The biggest issue that this game has, which comes in to play when you do pretty much anything, is losing connection to the server when you do anything outside of creation. While this doesn’t pop up often during PvP gameplay, it gets quite tiresome when browsing the options or changing between tabs.The multiplayer modes are a bit lacking, but this is a worthwhile investment with almost infinite replayablity. If you spent your younger years like I did, you’ll find hours of enjoyment just by creating and showing off your creations.
