MagNets: Fully Charged (Xbox One) Review

MagNets: Fully Charged was inspired by 90s collectathon games, and this idea is presented in the form of the ubiquitous Bloxbots. The player must use Ranger Faraday's MagNet to trap, stun, and scrap as many Bloxbots as he can to get components, which are taken to recycling machines scattered across the level to make items such as batteries and fuses, which allow him to progress further into the level. As he progresses through the level, he must keep Bloxbots away from key points; if the Bloxbots destroy enough of them, the level is failed and must be started over. The little guys are vicious, and have been observed chasing players across entire levels in an effort to zap them.

When Ranger Faraday gets zapped, he drops any and all scrap components he was carrying at the time, a la Sonic the Hedgehog. Without components to protect him, his health bar begins taking the hits; when it is depleted, it is mission failed. That's not to say Faraday is completely defenceless; he can jump and dash to evade attacks and obstacles, and can use a ground-pounding attack to stun Bloxbots beneath him long enough to be dragged into his MagNet. The attack is good against smaller groups, but situations can arise where he will be vastly outmanned, and he'll have little choice to take hits, losing valuable components in the process, to escape or trap some Bloxbots.

The relentlessness and ruthlessness of the Bloxbots is surpassed only by their numbers. They can be scrapped over and over, but more will always appear in the level by way of vents in the levels. The vents are usually located near the key points you have to protect, so players will have to constantly backtrack to remove the threats, artificially extending the length of the level and causing frustration. One early level has you protecting a band on a stage; Faraday has to scrap Bloxbots attacking the musicians, run to the recycler while avoiding attacks from more roving robots, run back to a musician with the battery he received from the recycler to power a barrier, and repeat the process for the remaining bandmates, hoping they don't get destroyed by the little ankle-biters before he can get their shields up. The experience can be infuriating.