Crushin' Robot- NYC Review

For a long time now, lots of fantastic, and fictional, events have taken place in New York City. Whether it’s because of its size, its history, or its vibrant urban culture, New York just seems like the right place for a superhero adventure or an alien invasion. As one would expect, Crushin’ Robots- NYC also takes place in New York but it doesn’t fully take advantage of its exciting location.

Players control one of the most humble yet most important members of New York society, a construction worker, as they attempt to stave off a robot invasion using whatever tools they can use. In other words, it’s a top-down shooter and the weapons are wrenches, nail guns, gas tanks and other construction-related items. Each weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses and can be further upgraded using screws earned from battle. However, when weapons aren’t enough, players can occasionally activate a screen-clearing super attack. Whether it’s a gun-toting helicopter or an army of cyclists, these unique attacks are the most exciting part of the entire game.

Unfortunately, that leaves the majority of the game as a pretty standard experience. The graphics are sharp and colorful but fail to leave an impression. This is partially due to the unchanging background and lack of enemy variety. While the retro, wind-up 1950s design for the robots is cool at first is quickly wears out its welcoming. After waves and waves of the same slow, grey robots when a new one finally does show up its big differences are being fast and beige. What’s more problematic though is that for a game that’s all about basic shooting, the targeting system never feels quite right. Players will gravitate towards certain weapons not because they are cooler or more powerful but rather because they simply hit their targets more often. Still, these are more annoyances than game-killing flaws.

For a free game, Crushin’ Robots- NYC is good enough to be worth maybe checking out once. However, five minutes in the real New York City are usually more interesting and entertaining than this.

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