Assault Android Cactus review for PS4

I don’t feel like words can really do justice to Assault Android Cactus. It’s the kind of game that you need in action to see to believe — in GIFs, especially. Like, say, this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

Or…well, you get the point. Bottom line, Assault Android Cactus is a frenetic feast for the senses, and — to borrow a phrase — writing about it feels like dancing about architecture.

I mean, I can say that the game is a twin-stick shooter, but that seems so boring written down. Assault Android Cactus is all about non-stop motion, from the minute you begin a world through to the end of each world’s boss fight. Not only are you flying around the screen, shooting off lasers and flames and missiles in every direction, you also have bombs and lasers and enemies of all kinds coming at you from every angle. On top of that, your pace is dictated by a giant battery at the top of the screen, one that slowly drains away as you frantically try to pick up more power as it falls from your exploding enemies. Everything is vibrantly coloured, the soundtrack is propulsive, and the whole thing is a sensory overload in the best way possible.

With all the commotion, of course, it can be easy to overlook the game’s few flaws. There’s a near-total lack of storyline, for example, that you don’t notice when you’re flying through levels, but that becomes kind of apparent when you set aside your controller and think about where your last few hours went.

Also…well, that’s it, actually. The one downside to a gorgeous, fast-paced whirlwind of constant activity is that there’s not much of a story to go along with it. I don’t know about you, but when the end result is as much fun as Assault Android Cactus, that’s a trade-off I have no problem making.