MSI Electric City: Core Assault

Rediscover MSI Electric City as you pilot a fighter ship with the mission to defend the city. Maneuver and blast away the enemy swarm in this VR bullet hell arcade shoot ’em up.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

gameplay3 positive mentions

monetization9 negative mentions

The game is free and provides a fun, addictive experience reminiscent of classic arcade shooters.
It features beautiful graphics and a unique VR environment that enhances gameplay.
Local leaderboards add a competitive element, making it enjoyable for players to challenge each other's scores.

The game is very similar to a mini-game in 'The Lab' and lacks originality, feeling more like an advertisement for MSI than a standalone title.
There are performance issues, including lag and crashes on certain VR systems, which detract from the overall experience.
Limited content and replayability, with only a few game modes and a lack of ship upgrades or additional levels.

monetization
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is primarily criticized for being a blatant advertisement for MSI, with many users feeling it detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the game as a free demo and find the ads unobtrusive, others argue that the constant promotion feels excessive and undermines the game's integrity. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some players enjoying the gameplay despite the advertising, while others view it as a negative element.
- “Very repetitive tech demo with no meaningful scoring, given how it's a giant advertisement.”
- “Based on the content of the game, this is simply an MSI (and presumably Intel, seeing their logo) publicity stunt using an advanced clone of the 'Xortex' game in 'The Lab', so marking this as not recommended as I don't want this kind/level of advertisement in games.”
- “So much so that I'm sure it trips some advertising laws about subliminal adverts, what with the way it casually displays MSI motherboards in front of your view every minute or so.”
gameplay
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for successfully blending classic shoot 'em up mechanics with a VR experience, offering a nostalgic yet innovative approach to the genre. Reviewers appreciate the seamless integration of various gameplay elements that have often been poorly executed in other VR titles, suggesting that this game could set a new standard for future VR shmups. Overall, it captures the essence of old-school games while enhancing them with a unique VR dimension.
- “I didn't expect this even after watching gameplay videos; I know... still, it was a great way to play third person in VR.”
- “If this style of gameplay is the future of shmups, I'm in.”
- “This could be the first time I've played a VR game that captures the gameplay feeling of old school shoot 'em up classics like Super Galaga, while really adding the 'VR' dimension to them.”
- “All of this taken separately probably sounds bad (old school, shoot them up, front facing, wave shooter, 3rd person and maybe even 'VR' itself), if only because so far each of those genres have been separately and often badly implemented into VR games... but it's like MSI picked up all the mechanics that separately work well in VR, and blended them together to make a good game.”
- “Next step would be adding a forward scrolling mechanic, and you could create VR versions of old classics like Zaxxon, Scramble, R-Type...”
graphics
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are praised as a significant improvement over previous titles, showcasing attractive visuals that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the high-quality graphics, which contribute to the game's engaging shooter mechanics.
- “Shooter demo with great graphics.”
- “This game is hella fun and has very attractive visuals.”
- “A step up from their bug smasher experience and it all takes place on one of their graphics cards.”
- “A step up from their bug smasher experience, and it all takes place on one of their graphics cards.”
- “Quite posh frankly as a promotional deal, though me owning an MSI graphics card at the time was incidental.”
story
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The story emphasizes resilience and the unpredictability of life, highlighting the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges. However, some users feel that the narrative could benefit from additional elements, such as ship customizations and a more themed story mode.
- “The moral of the story is that you never know what life holds in store for you. If I had given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Moral of the story, you never know what life holds in store for you, and if I had given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “It could maybe have some ship customizations and an MSI-themed story mode.”
music
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as soothing and calming, providing a sense of relaxation and reassurance to players.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes to this music long enough to realize that I was going to be okay.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or multiple attempts to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability due to its two modes—time attack and survival—and a single stage that only changes perspective occasionally, resulting in a lack of variety for players.
- “There are only 2 game modes: time attack and survival. As far as I could tell, there's only 1 stage that changes perspective from time to time, so there's really not much replayability.”
- “The limited variety in game modes and stages makes it hard to find reasons to replay the game.”
- “Once you've completed the available modes, there's little incentive to return, as the content feels repetitive.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players report noticeable performance issues, including lag between ship controls and movement, suggesting potential limitations on maximum speed. Overall, the optimization appears to be lacking, affecting the gameplay experience.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I love how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making the game run seamlessly without any noticeable lag.”
- “The game's optimization really shines, providing a fluid experience that enhances overall immersion.”
- “Your ship lags behind your hands; it seems to have some performance issues.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization problems, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I frequently experience frame drops and stuttering, which ruins the overall experience.”