Assault Android Cactus preview: a surprising and surprisingly fun twin-stick shooter (with a really weird name)

An interesting name can grab one's attention, but what someone does once they have said attention means everything. Assault Android Cactus is a game with such a name and, if you take the time to see what's behind the name, you'll find a fun little game; and I promise, Assault Android Cactus won't assault you with rhymes like me and my invisible accomplice.

So, what is Assault Android Cactus? Well, for one, it isn't full of cactuses; in fact, there isn't a single cactus in the entire game, other than a female android who's named, Cactus. What I'm trying to say, is, if you're expecting a game where you assault androids shaped like cactuses, you are going to be extremely disappointed; however, if you have no expectations at all, you'll be surprised to find a great little twin-stick shooter hidden underneath the confusing, prickly title.

You can play Assault Android Cactus with a keyboard and mouse, but the game is meant to be played with a controller and boy does it feel good. Sure, moving with one analog stick and shooting with the other isn't the most complicated control scheme, but every action is responsive, each weapon feels good--there are five characters currently in the game, each with two distinct weapons--and accuracy is never a problem. It's the simple things that people often overlook, but the team over at Witch Beam has  crafted a very strong base for a game that simply needs the content now.

Assault Android Cactus is a Steam Early Access title and it is, very much so, unfinished; some levels aren't completely finished and some levels don't even exist in any form at all; not every character is unlockable; the Steam leaderboards aren't functioning; and both the "Endless Battle" and the "Boss Rush" modes aren't yet implemented. You may be thinking, "Well, why the hell should I buy the game now then?" First of all, there is a demo for Assault Android Cactus--I wish every Early Access title had to have a demo--so you can try it before you commit to buying the game in its unfinished state; second of all, the part of the game that does exist is a lot of fun and fun to play more than once--there are currently 16 playable levels in the campaign mode.

I, like probably everyone who has heard the name, had no idea what I was getting when I first played Assault Android Cactus; I never expected to have as much fun as I did. The game does a lot of things that have been done before, but it also adds some new elements, like the health system; in Assault Android Cactus, instead of having a life bar, you have a battery bar--you are playing as an android after all--and the battery slowly drains over time, forcing you to play aggressive because, if the battery dies, you die. Battery pickups drop enough to keep the game exciting but never too easy, and frequent power-ups change while waiting to be picked up, allowing you to wait for the power-up you need in the moment.

If you don't mind paying for a game that still needs a lot of work, but has all the fundamentals in place, Assault Android Cactus is a great choice. If nothing else, try out the demo and see for yourself, because if you try it and like it, why not buy it and support a small independent developer that is doing something a little different and doing it well?

*Assault Android Cactus is available now on Steam (PC/Mac/Linux) for $14.99.

Assault Android Cactus (Steam)