From the first tutorial level of Hardcore Mecha, it's clear exactly what is going to be on offer. Giant Robots? Check. Government run Earth Defence Force? Double check! A competent run 'n' gun platformer that offers no surprises? Not Quite. What's on offer here has a fair few surprises, and a lot more hidden depth than the aesthetics and clichés may suggest. Take a look at the PlayStation 4 version to learn all about it.
The action kicks off instantly, putting the player in control of an Optimus Prime-looking purpose build monster/killing machine taking on Power Rangers Villain of the week reject. Simple to complete, controls are laid out simply through on screen prompts to put any budding robot pilot in good stead for any other missions. The Sentai/Ranger comparisons continue with a final cut from a lightning imbued sword out of nowhere, which leaves a hyped feeling for what's next to come.
Looking like a rejected Final Fantasy design, protagonist Tarearthur and his rag tag group of anime stereotypes are tasked with rescuing one of their own from a gang of terrorists by ploughing through wave after wave of cannon fodder and pre-scrap metal. Trusty Mecha Thunderbolt feels sluggish at first, until more prompts pop up describing effective use of boosting and aerial navigation. At first, this seems supplementary to the bread and butter of the experience, but from the first real boss battle and then throughout, It quickly becomes an essential mechanic.
It's in these boss battles that this shows some of its more enjoyable sections – dashing around the screen, juggling weapon power against boosting from floor to ceiling, looking for an opening to exploit. Difficulty is balanced enough that it's no cakewalk, but also not unfair. Skill is needed, and brings with it a sense of achievement when that rival powers down. One criticism, however, is how, with that much to juggle, controls often become a little confusing to keep up with. Three of four battles in, though, muscle memory takes over, and attack/evasion becomes second nature.
From initial deployment from the Phoenix space carrier, Thunderbolt feels as weighty as you'd hope for from a ten ton killing machine, but using a grading system for missions, as well as a collection of blueprints, all attributes can be adjusted. Surprisingly open to user interpretation, builds can be created specifically for most play styles. The amount of cash that can be spent on these builds is dependent on the performance throughout the main missions. All levels are also littered with secondary objectives to both advance the story and boost rankings and cash earned. Skirmishes can quickly become chaotic and overwhelming, but all are in a close quarter space with a very fair check-pointing system, to soften the blow for when death inevitably comes.
One of the nicest touches comes from the ability to dismount the Mecha with a quick tap of the gamepad. At first this seems like an addition purely added to press the occasional switch, and move through an odd gap or two. What a welcome surprise it was then to play a whole section completely on foot with the option to go in all guns blazing, or infiltrate the terrorist facility completely undetected. Avoiding easily fooled guards and spotlights was a delight, perfectly placed mission-wise. If it also sounds a bit familiar for a government operative to be sneaking around looking for a kidnapped person of interest, the “kept you waiting huh?” will certainly dispel any doubts. Sneaky throwing that line in, sneaky like a sneaky, sneaky snake.
