Review: Anniquilation – Movies Games and Tech
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The thought of being thrown miles away from home and safety is terrifying. But with a little courage and bravery, you may be able to right this wrong and understand why things have happened. This is the core of it Annihilation. It is a sci-fi title that relies on the action and not so much on the story.
Developed by R-Next and published by Gamer games, this is a futuristic twin-stick shooter. Also, it can be played alone or with others, and it’s unfairly hectic. In short, it’s a game that doesn’t let up, not even for a minute. Now this may put some players off, but I enjoyed the craziness even if the core mechanics were somewhat well trodden. Still, familiar elements shouldn’t put you off, as long as they’re well executed. So, shall we jump in and see how this game works? Yes, why not?
Annihilation has a history of throwing.
I’m not a gamer who requires an epic story to enjoy me. In fact, at times I like to be thrown in the deep end with a little explanation of what’s going on. Consequently, as this clichéd tale of sci-fi terror unfolded, I was neither bothered nor impressed. Instead, I waited for the start of each micro-mission, not caring too much about the characters or their situation.
You are a pilot of an advanced ship lost in space. Unfortunately, this prevents you from returning home, solving the mystery affecting your people and homeland. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel as you complete a series of missions and piece together your journey and its root cause. If you do this, you will discover why you got lost in the first place and potentially save your people.
As you can see, it’s not that original and it lacks oomph. However, I still enjoyed it on a rudimentary level and I liked how well the pacing flowed. Still, it won’t win any awards, and you’ll likely dislike most of the clichéd characters. As such, the central story is quite forgettable, and this was a shame.
Challenging gameplay.
So the story isn’t amazing, but can the gameplay save the day? Well, yes, and no. If you love relentless and almost unfair action, then Annihilation will be right up your street. From the off, the alien vessels go endlessly, and each mission is full of destruction, fast robots and giant mechs. After that, the only time you get to take a break is when you die or the mission is complete. This may seem like an interesting idea, but unfortunately it is poorly executed and exhausting to experience. Therefore, it is not what should have been pleasant! Instead, it’s boring, uncomfortable and poorly balanced.
The action revolves around micro-missions on small planets. During each stage, you must defeat robotic aliens while destroying buildings, collecting new ammo and gaining power-ups. Meanwhile, you’ll “enjoy” a strange mini-game that asks you to avoid asteroids and collect collectibles. This was a nice break from the combat elements, but it was too detached from the core concept to feel like an afterthought. This aside, you are expected to use your weapons, a sword and your enemies as projectiles. If you can master the use of your weapons, you will complete each level. If you struggle, however, you will die, and you will fail at that stage.
This doesn’t seem like a big question, but the main elements are too messy to fully understand. Also, with so many bots vying for your blood, it can be hard to figure out what to do. Consequently, it quickly becomes a headache and the pleasure levels are almost reduced before you even begin.
Annihilation doesn’t look good.
Unfortunately, another lack Annihilation’s bad graphics. The lack of detail, the OTT explosions and the hard to follow action make it very difficult to play. Also, the zoom function is not smooth enough and the gameplay is way too clumsy. It’s a shame, as the concept is phenomenal. It’s just poorly executed on every occasion. However, I liked the rich color palette and the attempt to vary the settings. On top of this, I enjoyed the random nature of the terraforming planets. Next, I wish the developers had maintained this level of quality throughout.
Another area I loved was the amazing sound. The loud and aggressive soundtrack was surprisingly good, as were the excellent sound effects. While I didn’t like the craziness that unfolded, the sound worked perfectly to set the scene.
It was tough to play.
In theory, the controls were not complicated. But with so much going on, you often lost track of what you were doing. Consequently, you will forget to swing your sword, shoot for no reason at all, or just fall into a burning pit. Whatever happened, it was annoying as hell. Next to this, there was a lack of finesse. As an early hack ‘n’ slash title, you just mashed the buttons and hoped for the best. Disappointingly, this is another example of where Annihilation falls far short of the required standard.
Multiplayer action always improves longevity and replay value. However, I couldn’t find anyone to experience this game with. As such, I can’t comment on the extent of co-op fun, or if it even worked. Apart from this, you will enjoy some longevity as the core story is hard work. If you can handle repeated destruction and death, you’ll love what happens. But if this isn’t for you, you’ll probably be bored Annihilation pretty soon.
Annihilation didn’t impress me.
On paper I should have adored it Annihilation. The short, sharp rounds combined with a basic story should have caught my attention. But instead I was left frustrated by a poorly executed game that should have done a lot more. It is for these reasons that I do not recommend you to buy it. But you can find more information here! Can you solve the mystery and save your people? Complete each mission, piece together the facts and become a hero.
