A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 371 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda Game Cover
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"A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda" is a side-scrolling action game with robot-combat focused gameplay. As the titular character A.R.E.S., players must save humanity from extinction by battling enemies with an array of weapons and abilities. The game features hand-drawn backgrounds and detailed character designs, with a focus on fast-paced combat and exploration.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 371 reviews
music28 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • Nice visuals that combine 2D sprites with low poly 3D environments, creating a cool retro look.
  • Good soundtrack reminiscent of Megaman X, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Fun gameplay that scratches the itch for Megaman fans, with enjoyable action-packed moments.
  • The game is too short, leading to a lack of content and replay value.
  • Controls can be frustrating, with occasional input issues, especially for jumping.
  • Some level design elements, like roller platforms, can lead to cheap deaths and frustration.
  • music63 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic and nostalgic qualities reminiscent of classic titles like Mega Man X. While some players find the soundtrack to be a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience, others describe it as mediocre or forgettable, with a few tracks being particularly enjoyable during boss fights. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant aspect of the game, appealing especially to fans of retro-style music.

    • “I would recommend this game on its soundtrack alone, especially if you ever liked the 16-bit Mega Man X music.”
    • “A short but satisfying shooter with a great soundtrack, solid gunplay, and massive boss battles.”
    • “One of the best aspects of the game is its soundtrack, which features electric guitar combined with industrial synth to amplify the already intense environment.”
    • “The music is forgettable.”
    • “The music all sounds like drunken remixes of Sonic 2's casino levels, and the game's larger design concepts are a mishmash of thrown together ideas that amateurs would think are cool but just lead to a muddled mess.”
    • “Music and sounds don't complement each other.”
  • gameplay62 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its similarities to classic titles like Mega Man, featuring solid mechanics and enjoyable run-and-gun action. However, criticisms include floaty shooting, awkward controls, and a reliance on grinding, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game offers colorful graphics and a decent level design, some players find the gameplay to be repetitive and the difficulty to be inconsistent, leading to a somewhat frustrating experience at times.

    • “The gameplay is nice and fun; just be sure that you have a gaming keyboard that allows you to press a few keys at once.”
    • “It's a good little 2D platformer with a nice art style, fun mechanics, and good replay value.”
    • “The level design is nicely done, and the difficulty ramping follows a logical path, while it throws you curveballs every now and then to keep it interesting and refreshing to play.”
    • “But I've had to stop myself short since the combination of the poor mechanics and design choices told me that this was going to be a game that was going to be a chore to go through.”
    • “The gameplay is unoriginal, jumping between platforms is difficult at times, the enemies are boring, and attacks from the final boss are hectic and near impossible to dodge.”
    • “The mechanics are a little tricky, particularly the grenade jump (combined with the fact that grenades are limited and a bit uncommon to find) can make some sections frustrating.”
  • graphics60 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant and colorful art style, as well as high-resolution visuals that evoke nostalgia for classic titles like Mega Man. However, some players criticize the art for lacking clarity and consistency, noting issues with janky animations and bland character designs. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, they are marred by inconsistencies and a few awkward visual elements.

    • “The visuals are fine.”
    • “In screenshots and stills, the game looks marvelous, and rightfully so; the environments are carefully detailed, maintaining a consistent art style that's a pleasure to look at.”
    • “The artwork is heartbreakingly beautiful and it controls very well.”
    • “The art style lacks visual clarity.”
    • “Way too short, too boring, the customization is laughable, and the graphics look like cardboard cutouts pasted on top of each other.”
    • “Seriously, the jumping is wonky, the shooting handles poorly, and the art style is the definition of unimaginative (and pretty lazily animated in most cases).”
  • story59 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered weak and underdeveloped, often described as forgettable and cliché, with many players feeling it lacks depth and engagement. While some appreciate the intriguing premise and colorful visuals, the overall narrative fails to leave a lasting impression, often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and challenges. Despite its shortcomings, a few players found enjoyment in the story's simplicity and the atmosphere it created, though many agree it could have benefited from more substantial development.

    • “Ares itself is nice looking and the story is decent enough for the type of game it is; what will get you, of course, are the boss battles; they are fun.”
    • “An interesting story, cool boss fights, and really great artwork.”
    • “The 2.5D graphics are great, the controls are fun, the design is great, and the story intrigues me.”
    • “The story is weak; the game is short and it is overdose easy, however, the gameplay is colorful.”
    • “The controls aren't great, the gameplay is repetitive, and the story is so boring they might as well have just left it out entirely.”
    • “The game's story is not its strong point; essentially you're a robot sent on a mission to a space station to stop the evil AI from blowing up a planet.”
  • replayability19 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to its short 2-3 hour campaign, but players can find value in completing side quests, upgrading weapons, and achieving high scores. While some may find the experience frustrating, those who enjoy exploring secrets and tackling challenges may appreciate the additional content. Overall, it provides a decent replay incentive, especially for completionists, despite its brevity.

    • “All in all, I was able to finish the game fairly quickly, but for gamers that like completing all the side content and maxing out your abilities, this title will provide plenty of replayability without you having to sacrifice hundreds of hours.”
    • “Although there is a lot of replayability if you want to upgrade all your weapons, find all the secrets, and achieve a perfect score on each level, along with other achievements.”
    • “It's short, I will admit, but it is well worth it for the replayability, rocking soundtrack, crisp graphics, and polished gameplay.”
    • “You can beat this in an afternoon, but there's really no replay value to it.”
    • “It's a short game but there is some replay value if you liked it enough to go back and find all the secrets.”
    • “Replay value: 2/5 (will likely get less frustrating as you learn to compensate for the clunky controls, and since the storyline isn't that great, a replay will likely be just to see if you can beat earlier runs)”
  • grinding10 mentions

    The reviews highlight that the game features a grind-heavy gameplay loop, requiring players to repeatedly farm for resources and upgrades, which can feel tedious and frustrating due to clunky controls. While some players appreciate the ease of enemy respawns for grinding, many express dissatisfaction with the excessive reliance on grinding to progress, leading to a sense of stagnation and busywork rather than engaging gameplay. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant drawback that detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Short, repetitive, grindy.”
    • “Item/character upgrades are incredibly grindy and (for some silly reason) all require way too much of all 3 types of currency.”
    • “The game relies on grinding to extend gameplay (what I call 'game time through attrition').”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviewers consistently praise the character designs as exceptional, highlighting their quality and appeal. The strong character design contributes positively to the overall storytelling and replay value of the game.

    • “A truly amazing game, a good story, good character design, and best of all, it can provide hours of replay time.”
    • “The character design is great nonetheless.”
    • “Character designs are great.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, leading users to describe its stability as severely lacking, despite being years old.

    • “It is years old, and it is buggy beyond belief.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the comedic elements of shooting robot enemies and the amusing use of broken English, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining touch to the gameplay experience.

    • “It's funny to shoot robot enemies, haha!”
    • “Also, the Engrish is hilarious.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is well-crafted and sets the stage for a deeper narrative, but players feel let down by its brevity, as it fails to fully explore the intriguing elements it introduces.

    • “The atmosphere is immersive and draws you into the game's world, making every moment feel significant.”
    • “The game's ambiance is hauntingly beautiful, creating a sense of tension and wonder that keeps you engaged.”
    • “The atmosphere is rich and layered, with every detail contributing to a captivating experience that lingers long after playing.”
    • “The atmosphere is appropriate, and the game feels like it should allude to much more coming; that said, the game is quite short and never goes further on the story.”
    • “The game has a promising atmosphere, but it ultimately falls flat, leaving players wanting more depth and engagement.”
    • “While the atmosphere initially captivates, it quickly becomes repetitive and fails to maintain a sense of immersion.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviewers express concern that the game's monetization strategy appears to prioritize profit over quality, suggesting it was designed to be short and lacking depth as a means to encourage quick purchases.

    • “Sometimes it feels like the game was purposefully made short for a quick cash grab, despite having the bare minimum qualities to shine.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which really detracts from the overall experience.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The game features heartbreakingly beautiful artwork that enhances the emotional experience, while its controls are noted for being intuitive and responsive.

    • “The artwork is heartbreakingly beautiful and it controls very well.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Players express frustration with the game's optimization, particularly due to the ranking system that pressures them to complete stages quickly while also requiring them to grind for enemy kills and finish bosses without taking damage. This design creates a conflicting gameplay experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.

    • “The optimization in this game is impressive; it encourages players to refine their strategies and improve their performance with each attempt.”
    • “I love how the game rewards you for optimizing your playstyle, making every run feel unique and challenging.”
    • “The balance between grinding for enemy kills and achieving high ranks adds a layer of depth to the optimization aspect, pushing players to think critically about their approach.”
    • “One of the worst things I hate in video games is getting ranked on my performance at every stage, and this game does exactly that. The only way to achieve max ranks is to complete the stages quickly, but you also have to grind enemies to reach a specific quota. After all of that, you must finish off the stage's boss without taking a single hit.”
    • “The optimization in this game feels forced and punishing. It seems like the developers prioritized ranking systems over actual gameplay enjoyment, making it frustrating to progress.”
    • “I find the optimization mechanics to be overly complicated and not user-friendly. Instead of enhancing the experience, they detract from it, making the game feel more like a chore.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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