Tesla vs Lovecraft review for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

It should come as no surprise that Tesla vs Lovecraft is a top-down twin-stick shooter. After all, it?s made by 10tons, who, off the top of my head, have also made Time Recoil, Neon Chrome, Crimsonland, and Jydge. They?ve made other stuff, too — much of which I?ve rather enjoyed — but they certainly seem to have found their niche within that particular genre.

Within 10tons? oeuvre, Tesla vs Lovecraft slots in right around the middle. It?s nowhere near as good as the exceptional Time Recoil, but it?s also miles better than the awful Crimsonland. In fact, if pressed I?d probably place it squarely between Neon Chrome and Jydge, which captures perfectly how middle-of-the-road this game is.

To be clear, that doesn?t mean it?s bad. It does everything you?d expect from a twin-stick shooter, and it does with a little bit of style. Playing as the eponymous inventor, you?re battling monsters that are literally Lovecraftian nightmares, conjured from the depths of hell by the famed/infamous horror writer himself. You have weapons that range from revolvers to nukes, and you battle your way through appropriately spooky Victorian settings.

With a set-up like that, you might think that imagination was one of Tesla vs. Lovecraft?s strong suits. Unfortunately, you?d be wrong. While the game undeniably has a unique premise, it doesn?t seem to do much more with it — it?s just a standard twin-stick shooter with a horror/sci-fi twist.

Again, there?s nothing inherently wrong with that. 10tons have shown time and again that they know how to make sci-fi-inflected twin-stick shooters, and Tesla vs Lovecraft doesn?t suggest they?re losing their touch. But it also doesn?t do anything particularly noteworthy, either, which makes it hard to be too enthusiastic about the game.

10tons provided us with a Tesla vs Lovecraft PS4 code for review purposes.