McDROID
- September 5, 2014
- Elefantopia
- 5h median play time
McDroid is a game with plenty of charisma and sweet ideas. It takes a tired genre and throws it together with elements from elsewhere to create an engaging and charming hybrid. It's aesthetically excellent, with some provocative ideas, but technical problems in larger sections of the game hamper the overall experience. Difficulty spikes and repeated levels also let the game down and prevent if from being truly memorable, but underneath the issues lies an interesting game which provides quite a rush.
Get on Steam"McDROID" is a strategy game that combines farming, arcade, and tower defense elements into a unique blend. Players can enjoy single-player, multi-player, or co-op modes, controlling a farming robot that can be upgraded into a battle station. The game features Furry Worms, doggy bots, and giant lasers, with a charming and quirky aesthetic that has won over many players. McDROID has been optimized for the Nintendo Switch, ensuring smooth gameplay even on its itty bitty hardware.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique blend of tower defense and action gameplay with charming graphics and humor.
- Engaging multiplayer experience, though it can be buggy, offers fun co-op gameplay.
- Challenging mechanics that require multitasking and strategy, keeping players engaged.
- Frequent bugs and glitches, especially in multiplayer, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Weak tower effectiveness and poor balance make it difficult to progress, especially on higher difficulties.
- Lack of clear tutorials and explanations for mechanics can leave players confused and overwhelmed.
- story28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story of the game is described as simplistic and somewhat generic, revolving around a puppy-like robot named McDroid and its quest to restore a dying planet after a crash landing. While the narrative is considered suitable for children and features a whimsical, childlike style, many players find it bland and unengaging, with the gameplay focusing more on challenges and combat than on story development. Overall, the linear plot serves as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.
“The story is a little generic, but is suitable and when everything combines, it makes for a great game for adults and kids.”
“It’s a timeless story about you (a puppy-like robot named McDroid) and your friend shuttle crash-landing on the dying planet M.”
“As the two of you set out on a quest to not only find out what's happened, but to restore the planet to its once beautiful self.”
“There's not much story.”
“The story I have mixed feelings about; I don’t like it nor do I hate it, the reason why is because it seems a bit bland to me.”
“The story is ... well ... odd.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this tower defense game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding the core loop of resource collection and defense coordination repetitive and unengaging. While the game features a unique terrain mechanic and offers a challenging experience, particularly in multiplayer, many users noted issues such as a lack of variety in towers, poorly explained mechanics, and significant lag that detracted from the overall experience. Despite its cartoonish graphics and potential for fun, the game requires substantial polish to improve its mechanics and user interface.
“The gameplay is deceptively challenging, with a number of different activities to balance in each level.”
“The game mechanics feel very well put together and multiplayer is a lot of fun, too, if you find someone to play with.”
“Blending old rock music, cel-shaded graphics, quirky humor, and a fresh take on old tower defense mechanics; it's a gem that many can enjoy.”
“Weird difficulty curve and poorly explained mechanics make this attempt at a tower defense game unfun.”
“The gameplay is a harsh challenge, because its normal difficulty is high, and indeed there are two more hard modes: really no one has an easy mode.”
“Incredibly laggy (exploding barrels killed my Skylake/1070 system and at one point there was an infinite gem spawn bug that killed the network and soon took down the game) not that we got much of a chance to see the game mechanics but there didn't seem to be any room for choice, or at least balancing and scale was neglected.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their colorful and cute art style, with many reviewers highlighting the appealing cel-shaded visuals and distinctive character designs. However, some users noted performance issues, such as blurriness at high settings and lag during intense action, indicating that the game may require powerful hardware to run smoothly. Overall, while the graphics are considered charming and well-executed, they can be demanding on system resources.
“The graphics are really cute, and the voice acting is amazing.”
“This game provides a bright art style with adorable enemies.”
“Amazing cel-shaded graphics and robot characters reminiscent of Borderlands' Claptrap but without the annoying voice.”
“Long time since I played such a bad game. From the boring graphics to the annoying dialogues and voice overs, from the many (too many) enemies filling all the view to the stupid friendly AI.”
“Graphics are colorful, but need powerful hardware to run, even in low quality; when the screen has plenty of action, it can cause lags and crashes.”
“As with all cel-shaded graphics, this can become tiresome for the eyes.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and light-hearted, often blending advanced comedic elements with moments of genuine emotion. Players find it capable of eliciting laughter one moment and evoking deeper feelings the next, showcasing a unique balance in its comedic approach.
“I enjoyed the quirky sense of humor in this.”
“It's light-hearted, but certainly has some advanced humor.”
“One minute it will have you laughing, and the next the sudden change in a battle’s tide will have you crying.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that the game features significant grinding elements, particularly in acquiring diamonds for upgrades and items, which can detract from the overall experience. While the tower defense and farming mechanics offer fun and replayability, some users express frustration with the time-consuming nature of grinding, especially after completing the main content.
“You may read my initial review below, however after completing the game on the second day with only 'achievements' left to gain by painfully grinding levels or waiting for people who actually play properly, I have had to change my review.”
“So I paid £13.50 for a few hours of gameplay, some of which were just painful grinding to get diamonds.”
“I seem to have to be grinding to get diamonds to unlock upgrades, etc. in single player.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its cool and simple quality, effectively complementing the lush environments and quirky themes. It features a blend of old rock music that enhances the overall experience, making it a standout element in the enjoyable tower defense gameplay.
“Lush environments and zany enemies with a mass of levels to play and a great soundtrack to boot.”
“The music is simple and excellent, fitting the theme of the game well.”
“Blending old rock music, cel-shaded graphics, quirky humor, and a fresh take on old tower defense mechanics; it's a gem that many can enjoy.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy and laggy, particularly in the tutorial, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some users still find the game charming and enjoyable.
“The tutorial is so buggy!”
“It's a bit buggy and lacks some polish.”
“Laggy and a buggy mess.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received positive feedback, with users noting significantly improved performance and balance compared to previous versions. The addition of new DLC enhances the experience, making it more entertaining, though some players express a desire for further updates. Overall, the optimization is considered a strong point of the game.
“It's better optimized since the previous version, also with new DLC, it's very entertaining.”
“Performance is very good.”
“It's a version of the game with much better performance and improved balance.”
“I bought this game after wanting it for a long time. It's very good if you like action, and it's better optimized than the previous version. However, there are no players online, so play it with me. If they just update the game, it would be excellent.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its engaging tower defense and farming mechanics, with numerous upgrades available. Players appreciate the potential for future DLC, as the current levels encourage repeated playthroughs despite a limited selection of tower options.
“Fun tower defense/farming game, lots of upgrades and replayability.”
“I can see the company easily publishing worthwhile DLC since levels offer replay value and there are fairly limited tower options so far.”
“Fun tower defense/farming game, lots of upgrades & replayability.”
“Plenty of upgrades and replayability.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Mcdroid excels in character development through its clever character designs and immersive worldbuilding, which enhance the game's intense strategic gameplay. The characters feel impactful and powerful, contributing to the overall experience.
“Mcdroid has a smart use of character designs, a subtle feel of worldbuilding, and the hectic and intense strategy is hit home by the hefty, powerful feel of everything.”
