Armada

Pros • Fast paced, with absolutely no slow-down, even during the most frenzied of multi-player games • Jam-packed with trigger-happy action • Huge amounts of space to explore	Cons • No deathmatch-type play • Needless to say, something feels missing without the online component
Bottom Line A skeleton of an online-game that’s very, very entertaining in its own right. Armada has me veritably exhausted. The game is beautifully simple, in terms of mechanics and mission-design. If presented in another guise, as a matter of fact, one might have said that the experience could get rather redundant and the action taciturn. But Armada has tons of elegant appeal that will swiftly and easily draw in the twitch-thumbed, hyperactive hordes. Needless to say, I’ve been up for days. Since it was originally designed as an online-game, Armada’s thin linearity might throw some off; even when taking the loose scheme of missions into consideration, it’s rather easy to blast into the final frontier, for several blurry hours, collecting dough and icing aliens. Yeah, the Asteroids-style gameplay is that addictive. I’m aware that this sort of thing might throw some off, and it’s understandable; often times, the vast reaches of space seem rather devoid of intelligent life. It’s easy to wonder what Armada would have been like, had Sega shaped-up and had the network up to snuff by launch-time. As is--dreams of space teeming with dial-upped space-cruisers aside--Armada is a skeleton of a game that could have been some kinda multiplayer hit. And it’s also rather entertaining, in its own right.

Blast through the past

Armada elaborates on Asteroids’ elegant play mechanics. Had the online-play been implemented, it would actually closely resemble SubSpace, albeit a lot deeper, and more largely populated. Basically, you’re dealing with thrusters: mapped to analog triggers, they control how fast you move, in any given direction--one powers the engines, the other the hyper-space, which zooms you to far-off destinations much faster than the conventional engine. The analog stick gyrates your ship, allowing you to navigate, and at your fingertips are the standard blasters, and the power-pod effects, which allow you to raise shields for defense, or utilize a smart-bomb-type attack, which causes massive damage to anything in your vicinity, barring friendly ships. You’re also able to activate scanners, which serve a multitude of purposes, such as picking through space-trash for some elusive credits, hailing friendly ships, and scanning enemies. The control scheme is fast, wild, and, best of all, easy to get into.

Strange lives, odd civilizations

At the get-go, you’re allowed to choose between six races, each with semi-unique ships and characteristics, including, among others, the Terrans, which are, basically, us, 10,000 years or so in the future, who serve as the standard, balanced race, so to speak; the oppressed Nomads, who are brusque in deed, and appearance; the Scarab, who closely resemble the Borg of Star Trek, though notably less expansionistic, whose ships are light, quick, and equipped with a multitude of gadgets. All the races are represented on Earth, Armada’s ground-zero, where you start the game, and are respawned after each death. On Earth, you’ll be able to repair your shields, restock your power-pods, learn about missions, and further the narrative, all by communicating with your fellow alliance members. The voice-acting for each ship’s captain is artfully done, imbuing each race with a tangible set of personality traits that define them rather well.

Die when you want--they’ll spawn more

In order to perpetuate the feel of an online free-for-all, Metro 3D has made Armada a rather forgiving title. When your three lives are exhausted, you’re simply born-again on Earth, with no loss in cash, experience, or equipment. This makes “bold” the default approach to this game; you’ll really have no qualms about rushing that enormous Guardian, in order to sack some experience, so’s you can upgrade your ship. Upgrades occur every four experience level, and provide, as well as increase in power, a cosmetic alteration for your ship--as you get more powerful, your ship will begin to look bigger and meaner. Too bad armaments don’t appear on the hull.

So should I buy it?

Depends. True: Armada has a relatively infinite replay-value, provided you don’t get bored of this sort of thing. And up to four meats can play on one console, wreaking their collective havoc upon the galaxy. The bottom line: if you’re into a shooter that’s fast-paced, relatively deep, but often shallow at the same time, that’s easy on the cerebrum, then you’ll definitely be into this. If you’re seeking a detailed, engrossing sim that takes more out of you than 20,000 seasons of fantasy football, then you should definitely look elsewhere. And those who’re fretting about the lack of online play, rest assured: Metro 3D is already working on a network-compatible sequel to Armada, set to be released once the tubing is laid here in the States.

Info & Screenshots