Robot Tsunami Review

Poor robots; they get such an unfair shake. Not only are they are made by man to service our every whim, but the moment that they take one step out of line they end up getting blown sky high. Granted, sometimes there is a legitimate global automaton uprising that needs to be put down, much like what the player faces in the new action title Robot Tsunami, but those have to be few and far between, right? Well be sure load up on ammo, because this is a case where the malice against machinery is 100% justified.

What could be more fun than locking a player inside of an inescapable arena of death and then sending wave after wave of robots at them, for hours on end? A trip to the proctologist, honestly. That might at least have a plot twist or two. Essentially the name of the game is evasion in Robot Tsunami, all the while collecting power ups, placing turrets, and blowing adversaries sky high. While this can be fun in short bursts, it doesn’t take more than a few waves before monotony sets in.

While the game lacks in overall originality, it does make up for it with visual polish. This Unreal Engine-based experience looks sharp and performs admirably, even on dated iOS devices like the iPad 2. That is saying something given the sheer number of bots, projectiles, and environmental effects that are being rendered onscreen at one time.

However, as good as everything may look, there is still one hitch to the presentation: the camera. There is a computer controlled camera mode that is supposed to help when turning corners, but all it ends up doing is throwing off the line of shots or placing walls in the way of the action, which ultimately ends up wasting ever-critical ammo. Thankfully the auto-camera can be turned off, but the other controls aren’t much better. So it's a case of the player picking their proverbial poison.

Despite the combat in Robot Tsunami being fast and furious, it doesn’t provide enough variety to prevent malaise from setting in far too quickly. Even if the title boasts tens of hours of gameplay, it will take less than one to drive home the need for additional combat options. If mindless gunplay is just what the doctor ordered, this is the perfect prescription, but most may be better served looking for a more substantial experience.