Aniquilation Review (PlayStation 4)
For this Aniquilation Review, we play a twin Stick Shooter Multiplayer Action Game set on small planets that can be terraformed as you play! in which not only your shoots but also the enemies and planet environment are your weapon!
Aniquilation Review Pros:
- Decent graphics.
- 2.33GB download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- Works on Playstation 5.
- Shmup gameplay.
- Four colored ships each with unique stats for speed, strength, and resistance.
- Opening tutorial chapter.
- Twin stick shooter controls.
- You play on a planet and are able to navigate it thanks to gravity.
- Homage to Super Stardust.
- Zoom out button to change view.
- Hit crystals to change your ammo type like ice and fire to shoot particular rocks.
- Sword – used to melee but also the time it to hit small ships away or send projectiles back.
- Shield – activated by you holding the button down and this will absorb damage.
- Health pods are where you dock, when docked you cannot shoot but you can use a shield and sword.
- Earn EXP and level up to increase your stats.
- In between chapters you do a bonus round of flying in a tunnel and avoid rocks and collect rewards. Felt like Sonic 2 bonus rooms.
- Can play with the d-pad and use the X button for shooting if you prefer.
- Flashy explosions, very neon.
- Level select and ability to replay levels.
- Still image cutscenes.
- Can skip cutscenes and interactions.
- The goal of each chapter is to basically destroy all the buildings.
- Pick up different shot types.
- Local Vs mode.
- You can drop guns if you don’t like them.
- Big boss battles.
- A handful of levels in each chapter.
Aniquilation Review Cons:
- Cannot rebind controls.
- Ships are just colors.
- The slowdown in places.
- Boss battles are not straightforward and drag on too long.
- So many explosions that it’s hard to see what’s what.
- The bonus part in between chapters is never explained and the colors used make it hard to see and judge pickups.
- The tutorial is very lacking.
- Some boss fights require buildings or enemies in order to be beaten and you can run out of these!
- The D-pad doesn’t work in the menus.
Related Post: Timberman The Big Adventure Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)
Aniquilation:
Developer: R-Next
Publisher: Gamera Games
Store Links –
- Graphics - 7/107/10
- Sound - 6/106/10
- Accessibility - 7/107/10
- Length - 7/107/10
- Fun Factor - 7/107/10
Summary
Aniquilation is a Shmup that is very reminiscent of Super Stardust on Playstation. You fly around a planet shooting enemies and collecting picks up with all the big bright explosions going off, yep I’d say that’s Super Stardust in a nutshell. The game plays alright going for a hardcore twin-stick shooter feel, you have a shield to absorb damage and a sword to repel and reflect enemies and enemy projectiles away. One little Gimmick is you pick up different ammo types that then allow you to blow up different parts of the environment so things as collect fire bullets so you can melt ice walls, that sort of thing. The performance overall is up and down as the action is very screen-filling, it does chug in places and the camera is a zoom-in or out type deal and that makes the performance go a bit wonky as well. Boss battles are meh, they usually try to mix it up by chucking in a curveball bit even on hard, they are not too difficult. The game is made up of chapters with levels in each and every now and then you will do a Sonic 2-style mini-game dashing through a tunnel avoiding obstacles and collecting rewards. It’s a game that is good for an hour or so but then the cracks begin to show, the repetition kicks in, and then it snowballs from there. Aniquilation is an alright shooter with great ideas but with a handful of cracks, which makes it hard to play for long periods.
