Metal Arms: Glitch in the System - Review

Added December 9th, 2003 by Kamahl

Introduction:

Over the last couple of years, a relatively unknown development company called Swingin' Ape Studios has been working diligently on a third-person action shooter for Xbox, PS2, and GameCube. The result is Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. Without question, Swingin' Ape Studios has made a name for itself in the video game industry with this solid title.

Gameplay:

Metal Arms basically has a cookie-cutter storyline. You play as Glitch, a hard-nosed, no nonsense rebel bot who must rise up and prevent the evil General Corrosive and his band of Mil bots from conquering the world. Though the storyline is cliche, the gameplay is extremely unique and diverse.

First, the game really sets itself apart from similar third-person action games in that you can take control of virtually any enemy. Roughly 1/5th of the way through the 42 levels, you'll receive the Control Tether along with Recruiter Grenades. Simply put, the Control Tether enables you to shoot a "tether" into the back of an enemy resulting in you having complete control of that enemy while Glitch takes a short nap. You're only able to go a certain distance away from the resting Glitch when you're possessing an enemy bot, but it really is satisfying to blast the hell out of enemies with another enemy. Having no regard for the life of the possessed bot creates a satisfying experience because you'll take risks that you wouldn't with Glitch. Not only are you able to control enemy bots with the Control Tether, but you can lob a recruiter grenade near enemies, which makes any infected enemies your ally. This is helpful and really cool. Fighting along side one of the large Titans provides for a kick-ass, destructive experience. When recruited, a Titan will blast the hell out of anything it sees, making your job much easier.

And that's a good thing because Metal Arms is a tough game. Luckily, you'll be given all the gadgets and powerful weaponry you'll need to blast your way through the consistently diverse levels. Not one weapon is dull, and you'll need to equally take advantage of the several guns in order to defeat the surprisingly smart AI. The level design is in a league of its own. With 42 levels, I expect quite a bit of repetition, but the folks at Swingin' Ape have successfully created 42 mini-games (that is, unique levels) that all tie together into a great experience. For example, one level puts Glitch in control of the a Warthog-type vehicle where he must catch up to one of the enemies in a certain amount of time. Another has Glitch in control of a stationary gun fighting off 3 progressively more difficult waves of enemies. And yet another puts you in control of Krunk, a bitter, foul-mouthed ally bot with a peg leg. To top it all off, Swingin' Ape worked a game of "Simon Says" into Metal Arms. Yes, it's that diverse.

While the single player is a great experience, the multiplayer shouldn't be written off. Swingin' Ape's lack of funds from publisher Vivendi Games unfortunately resulted in no Live (or system link) support. While this is a disappointment, the 4 player split-screen deathmatching is a lot of fun with three friends. The standard modes are included, but also, there is a mode called Possession Melee. Basically, you and your buddies race to recruit and/or take control of the various bots around the multiplayer map. When your allied bot gets a kill, you get the point for it. With four humans (all Glitch) and several different bots are all racing around a level blasting the hell out of everything with rocket launchers, machine guns, shotguns, and even vehicles, there is a lot of fun to be had.

Graphics:

Metal Arms was built from the ground up for the Xbox, so there is no need to worry about a poor PS2 port. It was designed for Xbox and ported to the graphically inferior PS2 and Gamecube. It's a very clear, detailed game with nice animations and lighting effects. While the graphical quality isn't that of a Project Gotham Racing 2 or Panzer Dragoon Orta, it's damn close. The only complaint is the consistent tearing you'll notice throughout the game. Basically, when you turn your head, sometimes half of the screen has to catch up with the other half for a split-split-split second, creating a very small hardly-noticeable "tearing." Personally, I didn't find this to be a problem at all, but it should be known that it is there.

Audio:

Supporting Dolby Digital surround sound, the audio is good. The weapons and explosions are very powerful, and, with the screen-shaking effect during heavy battles, you'll definitely find yourself being sucked into the experience. The soundtrack is adequate and fitting. Music, oftentimes rock-type beats, will pick up during intense gunfights, and, basically, there are no real problems with the sound.

Controls:

Take the Master Chief and shove him into the body of Glitch, and you have the controls for Metal Arms. The button layout is slightly different, but the analog sticks function exactly the same as the default Halo controls. Unfortunately, you south paws and legacy users (which includes me) are out of luck because the only option is inversing vertical aiming and sensitivity. It's a shame, but at least Swingin' Ape has acknowledged this and will include more customizable controls in future titles.

Right Trigger- Fire
Left Trigger- Grenades/Secondary
Right Thumb stick- Look Up/Down and Left/Right
Left Thumb stick- Move Forward/Backwards and strafe Left/Right
Start- In game menu
Black- Melee
A- Jump/Double Jump
B and scroll- Primarly Weapon select
X and scroll- Secondary Weapon select
Y- Action
B quickly - Reload

Replay:

Metal Arms has serious potential for replay value. However, with Halo out there, does this split-screen only multiplayer stand a chance? Honestly, no. The multiplayer is very well done and can provide for hours of fun, but, at the end of the day, the average gamer is going to go back to Halo. The similarities are uncanny, but the Master Chief, Chill Out, and Blood Gulch prevail. However, if you're looking for an alternative to Halo and you don't mind no system link/Live support, the replay value for multiplayer is extremely high. With well designed maps and excellent modes, you and your friends can undoubtedly play for hours.

The single player campaign allows you to skip to any level that you've completed, which helps with replay value,but will you want to go back and play again? Probably. Some of these levels are just exciting, intense, and, oftentimes, hilarious.With four modes of play, including the ridiculously difficult Nuts of Steel, you'll be going back for more of Glitch and the other bots.

Summary:

Aside from some minor screen tearing and the unfortunate lack of Live/System link support, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System is a strike. The campaign will take you upwards of 25-30 hours (on Normal/Hard difficulties), and the appealing multiplayer will have you coming back for more bot-possessing, ass-kicking, tough-as-nails vehicular and ground combat. I can safely recommend this game to anyone.