Armada

"Diablo in outer space...is actually fun!"

Though the initial look of the game won't have you marveling at what a 128-bit powerhouse can do, this old-school starfighter is great fun and a welcome addition to nearly anyone's Dreamcast collection. While Metro3d's top-down shooter may aim a bit low graphically, it comes up a big winner with addictive gameplay, an interesting incorporation of several game genres, and tight overall presentation.

Best described as a combination of Asteroids, Diablo and Sinistar, Armada involves elements of each in a formula that winds up being refreshingly simple. Players choose from one of six distinct races (each with differently armed ships), plod about their home base for a bit talking with allies, and blast off into space in order to take on the Armada. As the player destroys alien craft they gain experience points and monetary credits, which are used to purchase deadlier weaponry, stronger armor and other various scanning and tracking tools. As missions become assigned at the home planet, players are taken to far reaches of the vast game universe to complete tasks (usually of the seek and destroy sort) and progress through the game's stages.

At a glance the game may look dated, but on closer inspection Armada's graphics are quite vibrant and crisp. Though there is no amazing polygon count or blazing framerate to be measured, colors are used excellently and the game is artistically magnificent. Ships, planets, explosions and space stations all look terrific. On the negative side, there is a tiny bit of pixellation which is present if scarcely noticeable. Also, the background of space is filled with a smoky, lime-green film that resembles a swamp from Dagobah and is just flat-out ugly. Fortunately, the heavy action keeps eyes focused on the battles, and as a whole the game looks very good.

Aurally, Armada is nearly flawless. Laser fire sounds high-tech and precise, explosions are deep and full of bass, and dying aliens emit various slightly echoed shrieks that nearly permeate one's consciousness. The music score is unobtrusive and eerie while in space, triumphant when returning to town after successfully completing a mission. Voice acting is absolutely top-notch and will have a player repeatedly scanning friendly ships to hear the same sound bytes over again. In all, an excellent opportunity to keep the stereo up loud.

And criminy, does this game _play_. The experience of laying into the alien Armada with volley after volley of laser blasts will have a person glued to their controller for interminable amounts of time. The developer clearly worked very hard at making sure damage, speed, armor, rate of fire and enemy AI all come together in such harmony that action is always challenging without ever being frustrating. Battles escalate as friends and foes swarm on screen to blow one another to bits in a mishmash of glowing multi-colored laser fire. It's the kind of game that makes time fly past in the real world at a horrifically alarming rate (''I've been playing for four hours?? I just picked up the controller a moment ago...''), and this is as powerful a credit to its design as could be hoped for.

And even after the initial fix of blasting heaven, there are plenty of reasons to keep popping the Armada disc back into the Dreamcast. You'll want to explore the huge universe Metro3d has created to find new weapons and devices; you'll want to see just what happens when you reach the next experience level, or what the next mission will entail. Not to mention the multiplayer game, which allows for up to four to participate cooperatively for full party entertainment. It is true that at some point things begin to feel slightly inane and repetitive. But this point won't be reached for a very long time, and once it is a cure can usually be found in the form of a few rounds of NBA 2k or Soul Calibur. After that, Armada will beckon you back into outer space once again.

Simply, there is an awful lot of joy to be derived from this inconspicuous little gem. While not a polygon-crunching monster that'll have every microbit in the Dreamcast howling, it doesn't have to be in order to provide an experience that's both immersive and fun. A joy for shooter fans and a great addition to the Dreamcast library, this is a title that's well worth checking out, and is already a cult classic for good reason.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/29/01, Updated 05/29/01