There aren’t too many 2D run and gun boss rush side-scrollers around these days, so Mechstermination Force presents an immediately welcome opportunity to try something a bit different. Playing like a colourful cartoony cross between Shadow of the Colossus and Contra, it’s your job to fight through 14 stages in an attempt to save the world from a robot invasion by taking down a succession of gigantic mechanical bosses.
Fighting a single enemy in each stage might not sound too enthralling, but there’s some excellent variety in these battles, with each mech having multiple forms all requiring different strategies to conquer. You might be standing in place shooting off armour to expose a weak point, racing along a series of crumbling platforms firing wildly behind you, clinging to walls to attack from a vantage point, and so on.
Controls are easy to get to grips with. Run, jump, crouch (locking you in place for more accurate aiming), and a single-button melee attack. New abilities and equipment are acquired throughout the game (double jumps, magnetic gloves, that sort of thing), constantly giving you something new to play with and keeping later fights feeling fresh.
There’s a lot of trial and error involved in beating each boss, and often you’ll feel like you’re almost there but then they suddenly bring out a new attack that you’ve never seen before. With no advance warning and only a split second to prepare, it can sometimes feel a touch unfair, and it’s more than likely you’ll die a lot. Despite this, and a few questionable collision detection issues (you might find more than a few occasions where you’ll take damage when you were nowhere near the enemy), seasoned run and gun veterans are likely to find most of the game fairly easy, but the challenge comes from achieving higher scores/star ratings on repeat playthroughs. Each boss can be tackled over and over again, and the faster you win, the better rating you’ll get.
Mechstermination Force isn’t quite up there with the classics, but run and gun fans should still be able to get plenty of enjoyment out of it. With its generously low price tag, it’s worth checking out.
MECHSTERMINATION FORCE / DEVELOPER & PUBLISHER: HORBERG PRODUCTIONS / PLATFORM: SWITCH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
