One sub-boss I was having trouble with, for instance, is able to dash to your position and knock you down in an instant, but once I realised that Starch’s secondary fire could shoot around the thick columns in the level, I realised I could keep a column between us and take the boss down from a distance. It also helps ensure AAC doesn’t get too frustrating. She can unleash a barrage of rockets with her secondary fire.Įxperimenting with the many characters – and seeing how familiar levels play out with a different android – is a big part of the appeal here. Starch, on the other hand, has a laser beam primary that does more damage the closer you are to an enemy, but requires more precision. Holly, for instance, has homing bullets, which aren’t all that powerful but help her maintain kill combos more easily than some characters, while her secondary is an energy cannonball that slowly travels across the screen but does a lot of damage. The bigger guys are bullet sponges too, so unless your primary attack is powered all the way up – by collecting energy orbs that felled enemies drop – you’ll need to use your secondary weapon, which (mostly) operates on a cool-down system.Ĭhanging the very ground beneath your feet.Įach of the nine playable characters has a unique loadout, encouraging you to play to her strengths. In one level the floor might reconfigure itself under your feet, in another a series of conveyor belts conspire to tug you towards mobs of robots.Įnemy composition grows ever more complicated too, steadily introducing new foes – Buster Titans that leap at you, Fetcher Fidos that can tether you to the spot, Reaper Spectres that teleport in en masse and charge up powerful laser attacks – which must be prioritised and dispatched accordingly.

Initially though, you’ll likely be so enamoured by the intensity of the action and the variety in the level design to care too much about your score. AAC is immediately accessible and thoroughly conquerable for an average player, but with extended play it also reveals a challenging end-game for high score chasers. It’s also a game that understands that depth and difficulty are not necessarily the same thing. Assault Android Cactus (AAC) is a slick twin-stick shooter that knows how much fun it is to wield spectacular firepower.

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