Armed to the Gears

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 111 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Armed to the Gears Game Cover
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In "Armed to the Gears," control a hacked robot in a dystopian world and battle against totalitarian rulers. Fight waves of enemy forces using various weapons, unlock upgrades, and manage your base's workshop in the campaign. Engage in endless wave defense mode, with Steam achievements and leaderboards available.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 111 reviews
gameplay7 positive mentions
story4 negative mentions
  • The game has a fun and simple gameplay loop that can be enjoyable for a short period.
  • Graphics are decent and provide a visually appealing experience for an indie title.
  • The concept of combining mech combat with tower defense elements shows potential for a more engaging experience.
  • The game lacks meaningful customization options for mechs and weapons, making gameplay feel repetitive and shallow.
  • The campaign is very short, with many players finishing it in under two hours, leading to a lack of content.
  • Numerous bugs and poor AI behavior detract from the overall experience, making it feel unpolished and frustrating.
  • story74 mentions

    The game's story is described as simplistic and underdeveloped, with only eight main missions and a few defense missions that lack variety and depth. Players express a desire for a more engaging narrative and additional content, as the current missions feel repetitive and uninspired. Overall, the campaign is seen as short and forgettable, with many players hoping for future updates to enhance the story and gameplay experience.

    • “I'm enjoying the mechanics on the several maps I've played, the weapons are cool, the sound effects are well-done, it looks really nice, and there's a bit of a story there to keep me going.”
    • “This definitely makes one mission really hard.”
    • “The story is simple, the graphics are simple, but shooting is even simpler.”
    • “At the moment, it would be nice to have more of a story-driven campaign and background.”
    • “It's single-player only at this time, it just has a few missions, and the bad guys are pretty much the same throughout.”
  • gameplay18 mentions

    Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players enjoying the mechanics and combat, particularly the challenge of setting up defenses while engaging enemies. However, many criticize the simplistic nature, lack of content at launch, and frustrating mechanics, such as the absence of an auto-repair function and unresponsive controls. Overall, while the graphics and sound are praised, the gameplay experience can quickly become repetitive and limited.

    • “However, I like the gameplay and combat, particularly the challenge of setting up (tower) defenses of claimed positions, whilst having to fight the AI myself on other parts of the map.”
    • “Great game with some simple but very fun mechanics that is a good choice for sitting down to game for a few minutes and working through the campaign and also running through another mode for a longer session.”
    • “I'm enjoying the mechanics on the several maps I've played, the weapons are cool, the sound effects are well-done, it looks really nice, and there's a bit of a story there to keep me going.”
    • “But even those will need constant babysitting as there is no auto repair function in the game and you will have to manually select repairs for one turret at a time - basically in any story mission it is easier to rush your enemy than try to engage with the whole tower defense mechanics.”
    • “Simplistic gameplay, very little content at release.”
    • “This game's mechanics are awful... double click doesn't respond, single click doesn't respond, oh wait a minute now I'm dead...”
  • graphics14 mentions

    Overall, the graphics received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many users noting that while they are not groundbreaking, they are appealing and well-executed for the game's price point. The visuals are described as smooth and detailed, with some appreciating the physics effects and artistic design, though a few comments suggest they feel more suited to older platforms like the Xbox 360. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, enhancing the combat and world immersion.

    • “For the price, I'm pretty happy; the graphics and world detail are good, and the combat is satisfying.”
    • “Love the graphics and changing up the guns and armor for the battle-mech.”
    • “The graphics are good, and there's a physics package so debris does bounce around.”
    • “The story is simple, the graphics are simple, but shooting is even simpler.”
    • “Not a ton of missions, but the graphics, sound, and gameplay are very well done.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as "fine" but limited in variety and duration, with players unable to control the volume. However, the energetic rock music enhances the gameplay experience, particularly during intense moments when clearing out enemies.

    • “Can't control music volume.”
    • “The audio: music is 'fine', albeit really short since there's not a lot to the game.”
    • “Nothing feels quite like it when the whole map is just red with enemies and you clear them out one by one with rock music blasting in the background.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, with each map taking 40 minutes to an hour to complete, which detracts from the overall experience despite the well-implemented strategy elements.

    • “Each map takes from 40 minutes to an hour to finish, and it is just tedious.”
    • “The grinding feels excessive and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “The repetitive nature of the tasks makes it hard to stay engaged.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized due to poor controls, numerous glitches and bugs, and unbalanced difficulty settings, leading to an overall frustrating experience. Players also report issues with mouse functionality despite following troubleshooting advice, contributing to a sense of forgettability and dissatisfaction.

    • “Poor and clunky controls, glitches and bugs, unbalanced difficulty settings (no difference between the skill levels detectable), unfair difficulty in mode 'base defense', bad story, stupid AI, generic level design, and I could mention much more; this game is forgettable.”
    • “I looked at the troubleshooting guide, did all the things they said, and still the mouse doesn't work.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted as a standout feature, contributing to its addictive nature and overall appeal, making it a promising addition to the mech genre.

    • “This is a promising mech game, funny and addictive.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Players appreciate the game but note that it requires optimization and additional content, as they can complete it in under two hours. Despite these shortcomings, many feel the game offers good value for its price, especially for fans of the genre.

    • “I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it needs some optimization and more content. I've beaten the game, except for 2 missions, in under 2 hours. For the price, it's certainly worth it if you like this style of game.”
    • “The game has potential, but the optimization is lacking, leading to frustrating performance issues.”
    • “I found the gameplay enjoyable, but the optimization is poor, causing frequent lag and crashes.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability due to a small selection of maps, though some non-linear maps provide a degree of variability in gameplay.

    • “The game offers a variety of maps that enhance replayability, with some being non-linear and providing different experiences each time.”
    • “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the diverse strategies and choices available, making it highly replayable.”
    • “The limited number of maps encourages players to explore different tactics and approaches, adding to the game's replay value.”
    • “There are only a handful of maps now, and some of them are somewhat replayable (non-linear).”
    • “The lack of variety in missions makes it hard to find motivation to replay the game.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play through it again.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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