Mayan Death Robots (PC) Review

The title explains it all.

Although the official website describes this game as a ‘Wormslike artillery game’, I would disagree with this statement. Although at its basic level it is similar to the classic ‘Worms’ style of game, at its core it has a little more depth in its play style.

The basics of this game involve blowing up the opponent’s power core whilst protecting your own. ‘But why?’ you may ask. Well it’s for the views of course! The battle is being broadcast on the Intergalactic Sports TV that helps keep the views with exciting additions to the battlefield.

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MSRP: $14.99
Platform: PC
Multiplayer: Local co-op

When playing a level, I took control of a robot which has four basic functions. A turn comprises of either one of two attacks which are based on big explosions; jumping – the only way to move around; or by building tetronimo style blocks to either protect my power core or block my enemies move. There are also special attacks which come every so often, chosen by a roulette that awarded both me and my opponent with a one-time use power. There are different robots with different basic attacks, with more unlocked during the campaign. This may not seem too exciting, but one of these robots is a monkey with a banana attack… I’ll let that sink in. However, I found myself often using one of the same two robots for their power and ease of use. There is nothing wrong with doing this, and it may just be my personal preference, but it seems that certain robots are easier to win with.

Since the cost of robots is apparently very cheap, they are nothing more than disposable weapons, so eliminating the opponent has no penalty to them except for the loss of one turn. There are two phases in attacking. First is choosing the action, and the next is performing these actions. Both sides do this simultaneously and are timed – when the time runs out, wherever the player is aiming at that time is where they will attack.

Now, you’re probably sitting there thinking, ‘you’ve told me about the Death Robots, what about the Mayans?’ Well this is where at its core the game gets more exciting. In each level, Mayans are roaming all over the land. Since the screen was essentially split in two with me and my power core on the left and the opponent on the right, the Mayans on my side were looking up to me as a God. They were very helpful in a couple of ways – firstly my Mayans would protect me, so if my opponent’s robot were to step onto my side of the screen, they would rush over and attack it. Secondly, and probably most importantly, the amount of Mayans I killed on the opponent’s side of the screen increased the range of my explosions. The addition of these Mayans is a unique mechanic and adds a whole new depth into playing.

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An additional mechanic during the game is the use of boss battles. During these levels, the objective is the same. Part way through these levels though, both power cores disappear and I must work together with my opponent to defeat the boss, but once defeated, I go back to annihilating my opponent. These bosses are challenging and unique, each with their own style, attacks and fantastically themed music. Whoever deals the most damage gets a boost for when the power core reappears, usually a boost in attack and a higher core defence.

With a decent campaign and a two player versus mode, the game has a lot of content to keep coming back to it. Everything in this game encompasses a majestic style, and although the thought of polar opposites like Mayans and Death Robots together seems bizarre, the music and graphics tie it all together in a brilliant game that keeps you coming back for more.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Great visual design
  • Stylistic music
  • Unique boss battles
Bad
  • Can feel repetitive
8.5
Great
Written by
Laura has been gaming from a young age, growing up with a Sega Mega Drive. She is a massive Sonic fan, and will argue that the best game of all time is Sonic Spinball. Playing puzzle games gives her a metaphorical hard on, but she enjoys most game genres.