Initially released in May 2014 by developer and publisher Puppy Games, Titan Attacks was recently ported to the Playstation 3, Playstation 4, and the Vita this month. Puppy Games specializes in what they describe as, “neo-retro arcade games,” and Titan Attacks certainly seems to deliver on that. Offering classic arcade fun with modern twists it is worth the download, especially since it is free this month for PSN members.
From the very beginning, this title exudes a retro flair reminiscent of Atari games of old. Players with classical arcade experience will surely pick up immediately on Titan Attacks’ similarities to titles like Galaga or Space Invaders. They will also notice new offerings in gameplay and beautifully done art alluding to a past generation of games. Simple mechanics are enhanced as well to make it stand out as a classic in its own right.
Regarding gameplay, players take on the role of “the last surviving tank commander on Earth” to fight off aliens invasions from Titan. Through heated battle, players must fight through waves of levels with interim boss battles; a battle that spans from Earth to the final showdown on the alien planet Titan. Titan Attacks does not try to be something it is not and instead focuses players in taking on the role of a nameless tank commander as they defend Earth and stick it to the alien hoards.
The game touts typical upgrade capabilities allowing for additional barrels, higher damaging bullets, and more. Upgrade capabilities seem to scale well with the overall difficulty curve of the game while still keeping certain boss battles challenging. I will, however, always enjoy the feeling of launching a mega-bomb and watching a screen full of enemies burst into flame.
The art style is quite vivid and draws ones attention. Even when players find themselves in dark areas, detail and tone in level art stand out given the use of layered background environments that make each area come to life despite a two dimensional flat appearance. Backgrounds have so much life that I sometimes find myself distracted when attempting to focus on so many moving enemies and bullets in the battleground.
I was certainly able to draw upon my experience with similar titles to power through the game in just a few hours which, for a free game, was not so bad. A true mix of moder and retro design, Titan Attacks, evokes nostalgic feelings of classic games, while offering enough modern design choices to interest gamers with more current tastes.
