The top down shooter is a genre cluttered with lookalikes and imitations. The formula has been used so many times, over and over again, you'd think the ovaries of that golden goose had long since dried up. However, just because a genre is cliché doens't mean it can't produce a gem every now and then, as Assault Heroes 2 demonstrates. The best shooters are stylish, addictive, and offer a little something extra that the homogeneous competition just doesn't have, and Assault Heroes 2 delivers on all counts.
Undoubtedly, Assault Heroes 2 is a pretty game for an arcade shooter. Unfortunately, this does very little to set it apart from scores upon scores of other shooters. From Korean and Japanese bulletfests on the Dreamcast to freeware diversions found upon the net, the art of mesmerizing avalanches of multicolored munitions and massive conflagrations of bombs and explosions has long since been mastered. Assault Heroes 2 does pull a few interesting tricks with perspective however, at times eschewing the conventional top down view for a more head on boss fight on a cliff top or angling the camera a bit in the underground hallways. Most environments also offer a good amount of destructibility, from exploding convenient barrels to felling trees with a scythe of hot lead.
Underground hallways are one thing that helps Assault Heroes 2 stand out a bit, although many shooters have their own side routes or diversions of this type. Many times throughout the game, you'll be given the option to warp to an underground enemy base, leaving behind your rolling, flying or walking steel death-fortress and venturing in on foot in search of bonus points and weapons. This isn't as dangerous as it might sound, as apparently the multitudes of unforgivably stupid henchmen you fight are incapable of firing below chest hight. A simple roll is sufficient to render the player impervious to all damage, making survival more a matter of mashing the roll button than skill at times. You do die in one hit though, adding at least a modicum of challenge to the experience.
Vehicles, however, are a different matter. Your vehicle, in the hands of even a moderately capable pilot, is essentially a mobile death machine sent to commit a mass genocide that would be classified as a horrible horrible atrocity and have your character instantly smited by whatever deities were in the general vicinity, were they not the bad guys and you the hero. They, unlike you, have health, which comes in varying amounts depending upon the vehicle. The vehicles also recharge health after a short time, so all you have to do to keep your vehicle intact is hang back once in a while. In the event that you do manage to lose said death machine, survive on foot for a bit and a new one will magically be transported to you, possibly by wizard. Bosses do, however pose a bit of a challenge, as they invariably come with area attacks designed to take out a vehicle. Again, however, the roll comes to the rescue, making the game seem a bit too easy at times. To a veteran of the Korean gauntlet of bullets so thick the background disappears, Assault Heroes 2 may be a little lacking in challenge.
The other interesting aspect of this game is, to use yet another cliché, the real time weapon switching. Unlike many shooters that stick you with one or two weapons, switching them out as you grab upgrades, Assault Heroes 2 starts you off with all the weapons, as well as an assortment of grenades and nukes for clearing the screen. However, they're all fairly weak (in a relative sense) to start out with. Upgrades are grabbed along the way of your clone murder rampage, increasing range and effectiveness. The weapons also offer interesting combo possibilities, especially playing with a friend. Many achievements even center around this point, with bonuses for teamwork and weapon combinations. Freezing enemies and then melting them with the flamethrower is both humorous and rewarding.
Assault Heroes 2 delivers on all the standard points we've come to know, love, and maybe even grow a bit tired of, but the extra thought put into the weapons and teamplay help it shine through the turbid sewage many see the genre as having devolved into. By no means will it hold your attention for an eternity, but it's a good addition to any arcade library. It may be just one more example of the shmup genre, but it is an exemplary example. Everyone has the urge for endless, mindless killing at times, and those of you addicted to getting scores on the leaderboards will find pleasure in laboring over a perfect run through the game's many levels and terrains. Go on, be an assault hero.
No comments
Add your own +