Akimbot
- August 29, 2024
- Evil Raptor
- 10h median play time
"Akimbot" is a single-player, 3D action-adventure platformer with excellent game mechanics, stunning visuals, and epic music. Play as outlaw robot Exe and his sidekick Shipset, escaping prison and battling through armies of robots in a sci-fi world to save the universe. Discover colorful environments, unique planets, and engage in a thrilling race against the chaotic Evilware. However, be prepared for some bugs and glitches along the way.
Reviews
- Delightful throwback to 2000's platformers with charming characters and engaging gameplay.
- The visuals are stunning, with vibrant environments and a well-crafted art style.
- The game features a variety of gameplay mechanics, including platforming, shooting, and mini-games that keep the experience fresh.
- The game feels incomplete and lacks polish, with some mechanics poorly implemented.
- The story and character dialogue can be annoying and lack depth, particularly the sidekick character.
- Vehicle sections are frustrating and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience.
- gameplay120 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring solid core action platforming mechanics and a variety of engaging gameplay styles, including space shooting and driving segments. While many players appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic PS2 platformers like Ratchet & Clank, some criticize the lack of polish, repetitive level design, and underwhelming weapon variety, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the game offers a fun and visually appealing adventure with moments of creativity and excitement, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
“The core action platforming mechanics felt super solid and satisfying to play, with different sections like the space stuff, car driving, etc. providing nice interludes to break things up.”
“The combination of smooth mechanics and varied challenges makes this game stand out as one of the better-made platformers currently on the market.”
“The gameplay is quite different, in a good way! 3D platformers today are becoming rare, and this game is refreshing thanks to the dynamic shooter phase and diversified gameplay!”
“The game feels incomplete and is lacking polish across all mechanics and levels.”
“The gameplay, for the most part, doesn't hold up to expectations for several reasons.”
“Repetitive level design: the game's level design can become repetitive, limiting gameplay variety and leading to a sense of monotony.”
- story113 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and humorous, while others criticize it for being predictable and lacking depth. The narrative features a familiar plot of stopping an evil antagonist, accompanied by a comedic sidekick, but opinions vary on the effectiveness of character dynamics and dialogue. Overall, while the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, it is often seen as simplistic and occasionally annoying, with some players appreciating its charm and others feeling it detracts from the experience.
“The action starts off quickly and the storyline quickly captivates you.”
“The story has been interesting enough so far, which certainly has me intrigued enough to see how it ultimately unfolds.”
“What starts as a simple prison break for edgy mercenary bot exe and his loud-mouthed, botcoin-hungry sidekick shipset soon escalates into a crucial mission for this unlikely duo, where they are tasked to save the galaxy from a bot with some evil software, charmingly named evilware.”
“On the negative side, I didn't like the story or the sidekick character much at all.”
“The story is very overblown and doesn't always make sense; character behavior is inconsistent and often seems to just serve a trope. Dialogue is seldom meaningful and often overblown for the sake of mentioned tropes.”
“There’s a lot of unexplored potential in the game’s writing; it all feels like the story exists for the sake of having a story.”
- graphics45 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their vibrant, colorful visuals and impressive artistic style, often compared to AAA titles. Many reviewers noted the stunning environments and character designs, highlighting a successful blend of cartoonish and semi-realistic elements. However, some players experienced performance issues, with the graphics demanding significant PC resources, leading to overheating and crashes during gameplay.
“The vibrant and colorful visuals in each scene and level immediately catch your eye, and the graphics are genuinely impressive, especially given the artistic style they chose to go with.”
“The art style brings together a perfect balance between cartoony robots and semi-realism with an amazing sense of color theory, with many levels and set pieces just having areas that looked so good I had to stop and gaze for a moment.”
“The graphics, which aim to strike a midpoint between cartoon and realism, are truly stunning; whether it’s a colorful beach, a war-torn battlefield, a large-scale space battle, or an off-kilter dreamscape, the artistic vision for these spaces is fully realized and cohesive.”
“Sadly, the game has a big problem with performance as it requires too much PC power for its graphics (to the point of overheating), and I couldn't enjoy it.”
“You will fail because there are surprise turns, and the level aesthetic is so bad that it is not obvious if you're going the right way or not until you find out you made a turn that leads to your death.”
“It also can feel a bit straining at times hearing shipset, which is basically a claptrap that can fly at times, and it does end up crashing my PC's graphics drivers after about 4 hours (but I could relaunch the game just fine and go for another few hours).”
- music43 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its catchy, upbeat nature and its ability to enhance the overall experience. While some noted issues with volume levels and occasional similarities to other games' soundtracks, the majority found the music to be memorable and energizing, contributing significantly to the game's fun atmosphere. Overall, players expressed a strong desire for the soundtrack to be made available for purchase.
“The music fits the game so well, it brings action and energy to the battles!”
“Overall the soundtrack is full of catchy tunes I find stuck in my head after playing.”
“The humor is great, the gameplay was outstanding, the design was charming while full of personality, and the music had me hyped the entire time.”
“Music 1/10, probably from a music library but too loud at times and inappropriate with no choice for a small indie game.”
“And finally the movement system is fun at first but gets very boring and repetitive and doesn't help much in combat since they shoot at you not where you used to be (shots seem to track) and finally they seem to have stolen some music from the Jak and Daxter games or at least sampled it heavily since during the buggy part you can hear the actual music from the games.”
“It does have its positives as I go into below, such as graphics, characters, and music, but these just aren't enough to make up for the gameplay itself being tedious.”
- humor40 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -5 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it charming and filled with pop culture references, while others feel it falls flat or becomes grating, particularly with the sidekick character, Shipset. Many appreciate the engaging dialogue and comedic moments, though some criticize the humor as childish or overly reliant on clichés. Overall, while the humor may not resonate with everyone, it contributes to a lighthearted experience that can elicit a few laughs.
“The dialogue is hilarious, the main characters are captivating and it never overstays its welcome.”
“Throw in a sprinkle of humor and a healthy dose of pop culture references, and the story gains enough charm to keep you engaged.”
“I would easily recommend this game to someone who wants to play a relaxing game, enjoy a good story, and have a couple of laughs, because man is Shipset hilarious!!”
“Why do you keep me waiting for so damn long, just to tell some unfunny jokes?”
“The humor feels forced and falls flat, making the experience more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected clever wit, but instead, I got a series of tired clichés that just didn't land.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, FPS spikes, and overheating on various systems, particularly the Steam Deck. While some users experienced stable performance, the overall consensus indicates that the game requires further optimization to enhance gameplay and reduce technical frustrations.
“As for performance, I didn’t encounter any issues at all.”
“While performance was rock solid, I had the impression that the game was quite a power hog, having my GPU run hotter than Lords of the Fallen (2023), which runs on the same engine and sports a higher visual fidelity.”
“Performance-wise, the game works fine.”
“Sadly, the game has a big problem with performance as it requires too much PC power for its graphics (to the point of overheating), and I couldn't enjoy it.”
“I wish-listed this game and when it came out, I bought it and played it, but dropped it after a couple of hours mainly because of performance issues and bugs.”
“The drawback to this ambition and variety is the lack of optimization and fine-tuning to some of the mechanics, which means the game can at times feel a bit messy or frustrating.”
- stability11 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with players noting that while the driving mechanics, particularly for the buggy and tank, can feel stiff and frustrating, they are generally functional and do not detract significantly from the experience. Some users reported that the game runs well on platforms like the Steam Deck when frame rates are limited, but certain vehicle sections can be cumbersome. Despite these issues, the game maintains a solid performance overall, allowing players to enjoy various gameplay segments without major disruptions.
“I'm about an hour in on the Steam Deck; it runs great if you limit the frame rate to 30 in the in-game settings.”
“The buggy, for example, feels stiff and kind of slow, but is otherwise perfectly functional.”
“This isn't without its problems though; some of the vehicles are a pain to use, namely the buggy (landing jumps really slow you down) and the tank (constantly veers off to the side), but the vehicle sections normally aren't too long to where any quirks that happen are going to bother you.”
“And finally, the movement system is fun at first but gets very boring and repetitive and doesn't help much in combat since they shoot at you, not where you used to be (shots seem to track).”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its vibrant and visually appealing futuristic robot world, complemented by top-tier voice acting and a legendary soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the captivating environments and impressive variety in gameplay, contributing to an overall immersive experience.
“The main cast is colorful, the atmosphere is incredible, voice acting is top tier, and the soundtrack is an absolute legend!”
“Visually appealing world: the game's futuristic robot world is well-designed and visually appealing, creating a captivating atmosphere.”
“The environments are vibrant and atmospheric, and the soundtrack hits hard.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some segments being enjoyable while others feel excessively tedious and drawn out. Although certain activities, like a flip card puzzle, offer a fun challenge, the overall gameplay is often criticized for its lack of engagement and repetitiveness, overshadowing the game's positive elements like graphics and music.
“This game is incredibly tedious.”
“One segment will be really fun and last the right amount of time, another will be tedious and/or boring and last forever.”
“It does have its positives as I go into below, such as graphics, characters, and music, but these just aren't enough to make up for the gameplay itself being tedious.”
- character development4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being shallow and lacking depth, with a simplistic narrative that fails to explore the motivations of its characters. Reviewers note uninspired character designs and a lack of meaningful progression, as characters do not evolve or change throughout the story. Overall, the game is described as having a superficial approach to character arcs, making it feel more like a flash game than a fully developed experience.
“Shallow narrative: the story, while simple, lacks depth and character development, failing to delve deeper into the themes and motivations of the robot world.”
“As much depth as a flash game, uninspired character design, only two weapons you can equip at a time (with one of them having a scuffed energy system that sometimes doesn't recharge for full sections of a level), bad performance, etc.”
“Exe profoundly refusing to help the ambassador...and then an hour later (without any character development) we need to help a civilian to repair his bike, even though we did not want to save the whole universe!”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is considered to have low replayability, as it primarily offers a one-time experience with limited alternate pathways for exploration in subsequent playthroughs. While the initial experience is highly enjoyable, players may find little incentive to return after completing it.
“It may not be highly replayable, but this riveting robotic rollercoaster is undoubtedly worth experiencing for that first rapturous run-through.”
“While this does swiftly chaperone the player along their way, it hampers akimbot’s potential replayability, as there are few alternate pathways to explore on future playthroughs.”
“I enjoyed my time with it, but the game is not replayable; it is a one-time playthrough.”
“While this does swiftly chaperone the player along their way, it hampers the game's potential replayability, as there are few alternate pathways to explore on future playthroughs.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing frustration over poor quality and lack of quality assurance, leading to technical issues and dissatisfaction. Additionally, the disabling of PS5 controller features further detracts from the overall experience, highlighting a lack of investment in player satisfaction.
“This game feels like a scam; it seems to be a quick cash grab aimed at Ratchet and Clank fans. The lack of quality assurance testing is evident, and it has caused significant issues with my hardware.”
“The monetization strategy is frustrating, as it seems designed to extract as much money as possible from players without delivering a quality experience.”
“I can't believe how poorly this game was tested. The monetization tactics overshadow any enjoyment, and it feels like they prioritized profit over player satisfaction.”