Pros:
+Matches can be short, quick, and fun for players wanting a quick time burner
+Astounding graphical uses and sound quality
+Challenges do make the game a bit more tougher per round played
+Weapon variations allow for increased difficulty
Cons:
+Vibrant and flashy colors and textures could make the game tough to play for those with epilepsy and seizures or those who are colorblind
+Control scheme may be hard to understand at first unless players go into the menus
+Absolutely no story for those wanting story and depth
When first contacted about AIPD I had no idea what this game was or what the initials stood for. Let alone had I never heard of the developer Blazing Badger, I decided to check the press email, contact the PR guy in return (thanks again for this opportunity!) and decided to submit a request for a review code on PlayStation 4. While Xbox One and PC also got this game, I decided to take it out on PS4 since we have more PS4 controllers in our office than Xbox One/PC controllers. Also we weren’t sure how the game would run on our Windows 10 PCs since we made the jump recently.
When looking at AIPD as the type of game it is, it’s hard not to think about games like Geometry Wars since both games are in the same league. Both are twin stick shooters, both require a high amount of attention span, but both also use vibrant color schemes in order to keep your attention. What AIPD does lack is something that would have made it intriguing, interesting, and even more drawing for those wanting to play it. A story and multiple maps to play on versus the one singular backdrop. While this worked for games like Flow, AIPD attempts to offer a rather fun twin-stick shooter, which is honestly fun for a little while, but quickly grows to a dull bore. If you want a game to burn time between errands or before work? Then this game is right up your alley as it does offer that since average matches last anywhere from one minute to approximately twenty to thirty depending on challenges (these up the difficulty) that are picked as well as difficulty chosen.
To start AIPD is an interesting concept, it’s premise is the fact the game has no story, but what it offers in return is a classic arcade like experience. This experience is brought on by the fact this game, much like classic games such as Galaga, Centipede and some of the older more classic games, did not use very many maps in play if any. This is the case in AIPD where players will be accustomed to a singular map that does not change, evolve, or developed into a different scenery outside of the enemies coming in swarms, the enemy drops that may occur and the EMP fields that players will have to watch out for. The game is fairly straight forward in the sense that it offers several game modes that change how players will encounter enemies. This includes one where enemy heavy ships will have extra shielding or even abilities to make it a bit more difficult for the player to survive. This does tend to happen while players are attempting to survive being attacked by incoming enemy ships.
Even though the other modes are basically additions onto the Standard game mode, this review will primarily be focusing on the games core mechanics and the Standard Mode as well a mode that allows for players to make their own custom game creation. The base game is simple, as mentioned you play as an AIPD ship, from there your goal is to eliminate all threats on screen as they come at you in large groups. These swarms can easily be taken out as players learn to dodge, maneuver, and shoot at the same time. Taking out enemy forces allows for players to gain pick-ups, one offensive, and one defensive may be equipped, however you can only pick one up after using one that you already have equipped. These can include shotgun like weapons, swarming missiles, overshields, ice like barriers or even time slows. While all these seem like they might be useful at all times, that is not always the case due to the enemies that may be attacking. If too many approach? Some of the support pick-ups may not seem as effective as the offensive ones.
The one thing that did seem to make the game a bit more challenging was the fact that players can choose modifiers for bonus points after each level. These can variate between a EMP field that will form a ring, making it so that players may only use the center of the map momentarily to enemies having more powerful weapons. To offset this imbalance at times? Players can team up with four people in local-cooperative play. Unfortunately due to having only one spare controller, it was an enjoyable time just teeming around alone in order to see if scores could be beaten on the leaderboards.
AIPD: Artifical Intelligence Police Department –Xbox One, PC, PS4 (Reviewed)
Developer: Blazing Badger
Publisher: mamor games
Cost: 9.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available
Even though other modes offered things such as all environmental hazards enabled to allowing enemies to have all abilities enabled, the creative mode was where the game stood out the most in my opinion. Here players are able to choose what modifiers enemies have enabled clear down to what weapons the enemies may have. Perhaps you don’t want to let enemies have anything, but instead want a rather deadly map? That’s okay too. Got friends over and want to enjoy a rather fun time of creating a map with a few modifiers each? Go at it. There’s three slots players can use to store their created modes from. It’s just a matter of how creative players can be in order to create a rather lethal and fun time.
Due to how little there is, it is hard to state that AIPD is a game that will keep you busy for days on end. Luckily this game is like titles such as Geometry Wars where players will come back to burn a little bit of time. We just hope to see more levels and variations launched for this game now that it’s available. Till then? The game is enjoyable if played in short spurts or with friends. Some? May find this game just as fun as others.
Our review is based upon the final version that the publisher provided us with. For information about our ethics policy please click here.
Final Score: 6 out of 10
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.