Microbot (PS3) (From Daily Echo)

Microbot (PS3)

in Game Reviews By Ian Crump

Genre: Arcade Shooter

Platform: PlayStation 3

Publisher: Electronic Arts

It may sound like a faction from Transformers, but microbots are robots under 1mm in dimension that are developed to reach places that other robots can't – like inside the body.

Microbot sees players take control of one of these tiny robots, and although it's not going to win any awards for its originality in terms of gameplay, there are parts of Microbot that stand out.

Upon starting the microbots journey into the body, it's not instantly obvious that you're starting in the syringe that's about to be injected. First seeing the syringe fill with blood and then getting pushed at stupid speed along what is clearly meant to be the bloodstream, it all becomes clear.

As the game progresses and the colours of the liquids change, it's never clear what the liquid is or where in the body the microbot is. To be fair though, it might be best not to know – ignorance is bliss after all.

Playing from an overhead angle, controlling the microbot with the left stick and the microbot's fire with the right stick, it's a familiar control system that everybody will click with instantly.

Where things really get interesting and where Microbot differs from the millions of other shooters of this genre, is in the upgrades available. Players can completely customise their microbot with the combination of weapons they want and can spend orbs, a form of currency, on upgrading each of them. The options are huge and the amount of combinations is staggering.

As players progress, the microbot develops and slowly gains the ability to hold more weapons at once, providing further depth and customisation options.

Although Microbot can be played as a single player or with a friend on the same console, there is unfortunately no option for online play.

At just 800 Microsoft Points or £6.29, Microbot is a harmless enough intrusion.

SCORE: 5 / 10