Universal Warrior
| Developer: N/A | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Zeppelin | Sound: |
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| Year: 1993 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Action-maze | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
6/10 | |
You control an android in what can only be described as a futuristic arena. Carve a path to the exit by obliterating anything that moves to earn money. Use that cash to patch up your tin can (new weapons, armour, gadgets) and dive back in for more…
As is often the case with games of this kind, the initial impression is promising, but after a few minutes, boredom sets in. The action lacks spectacle, the variety is minimal, and the puzzles boil down to navigating some rather empty mazes.
That said, there are some creative touches, like an insurance system you can purchase before each level (for the risk-averse) or the option to bet on your future performance.
The buy/sell/repair mechanic is unavoidable since various functions of your robot are liable to fail if you take too much damage. It’s a clever concept, though it becomes tiresome fast. For instance, a busted radio causes intermittent screen interference, while a broken motor leaves you unable to move forward, forcing you to move only in reverse and fire randomly to propel yourself using the recoil of your cannon!
It took me a good ten levels to even notice some of these options existed. Why? The invisible menu! You need to press “up” at just the right moment when the score is displayed in front of the futuristic city (this screen). Who thought that was a good idea?
In conclusion, it’s all a bit underwhelming. The presentation is appealing—top-down view and smooth controls—but the game cries out for more sophisticated puzzles, something in the style of Tower of Babel. Now that would be an interesting hybrid. Any developers running low on inspiration, consider this a call to arms!
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