When you read a name like Assault Android Cactus, your first thought is that this sounds a bit bananas. Then, I decided that I shouldn’t judge an indie game by it’s title and watched the trailer. It looks like a mix of Ratchet and Clank meets Gunstar Heroes; and I knew this game would be right up the Towelites alley. Take a look at some screenshots and the trailer below and fasten your seat-belts for this wild ride!
Witch Beam‘s high octane arcade-style twin stick shooter, Assault Android Cactus, hits PC on Wednesday, Sept. 23, launching on Windows, OSX and Linux. PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Wii U releases will follow in Q1 2016 bringing the same intense experience to console players.
Set in a vivid sci-fi universe, Assault Android Cactus features a playable cast of all female androids sent to investigate a distress beacon coming from a ship lost in deep space. Each heroine must battle against hordes of robotic enemies using their character-specific primary and secondary weapons, while navigating dynamic stages that constantly introduce new elements.
Players begin the game with a choice of four playable androids and as they progress through the campaign unlock five more – including a currently unrevealed android with a vicious combat style, awarded for beating the game.
Each android not only comes equipped with their own particular weapons dictating their style of play, but also has their personality exhibited in dialogue. Cactus is the bold and confident leader, looking to uphold the law and bring evildoers to justice; Holly is a soft-spoken and shy android, rarely taken seriously by her opponents; and Starch is an adorably quirky lunatic who strikes fear into her enemies with just a smile and a wave.
In addition to a campaign that supports one to four players and a boss rush mode that lets players tackle the bosses one after another, Assault Android Cactus also offers Daily Drive and Infinity Drive modes, providing hardcore players a chance to show off their skill.
In Infinity Drive, players choose their best character and attempt to survive as long as possible against endless waves of increasingly difficult enemies and constantly changing stages, making every attempt feel different.
The Daily Drive challenges players to survive through ten randomly generated waves of enemies, but only gives them one chance per day. Every 24 hours, a new challenge and leaderboard awaits players.
“We made an arcade action game that took our favorite things about the twin sticks and shump genres and combined them into something new that I think fans of those games are going to love.” said Sanatana Mishra, director at Witch Beam. “We’ve been inspired by so many shooters over the years, from Robotron, to Ikaruga, and Resogun, and hope Assault Android Cactus will be as fondly remembered as those classics.”
Assault Android Cactus is in Early Access and available now on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux for $14.99 USD.
About Witch Beam
Witch Beam is a Brisbane-based Australian indie developer. The studio is comprised of industry veterans whose resumes cite BAFTA and GDC awards for work on titles including L.A. Noire, Alien Isolation, Need for Speed and Hand of Fate.
Witch Beam strives to develop substantial experiences on core gaming platforms with polished gameplay that focuses on mastering select elements, rather than delivering a massive amount of unrefined features.
To learn more about Witch Beam please visit
http://www.witchbeam.com.au
