Game Reviews

Mission of Crisis

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Mission of Crisis

Has there ever been a more epic struggle in the history of time than the battle between cats and dogs? These two species seem doomed to engage in a never-ending contest of wits and strength, with tradition dictating that the adorable canines are always outsmarted by the devious, self-serving felines.

That stereotype is reinforced in Mission of Crisis, which places the cats firmly in the role of the bad guys. So bad, in fact, that they've turned into slavering zombies, leaving the heroic (and curiously military-minded) dogs to gear up and take to the battlefield.

Privates on parade

What follows is something not entirely dissimilar to Sensible Software's classic Cannon Fodder.

You guide your team of mutts around various levels taking down undead pussy cats with extreme prejudice. The game begins with a fairly balanced team - one dog has a machine gun while the other has a long-range sniper rifle - but as you progress you can unlock additional characters that expand your tactical options.

You'll also find that your enemies become more adept the further you strike into the warzone, with close-combat cats giving way to projectile-throwing moggies. Thankfully, it's possible to spend your spoils of war on restorative items and use special gems to unlock upgrades to your weapons, tipping the balance of power in your favour.

Valuable gems are handed out at the end of each mission, with higher difficulty levels earning you more. You can also gain gems by taking part in the Arena mode, where you battle against wave after wave of foes to bag additional shiny crystals.

Gem miner

Although it's possible to take the fast track by using real cash to purchase gems, the rate at which the game dishes them out renders this unnecessary unless you're particularly impatient. It's actually quite enjoyable to spend a bit of time building up your resources and spending them on upgrades -by taking the IAP shortcut you're actually robbing yourself of entertainment and satisfaction.

With excellent visuals and punchy sound effects, it falls to the rather amateurish translation to bring Mission of Crisis down a peg or two. The game is peppered with poor examples of English - heck, even the title makes no sense.

Even so, this linguistic issue isn't enough to dissuade us from pinning a shiny medal of honour on Mission of Crisis's breast pocket. It's a well-presented and engaging title which mixes action with strategy to create a surprisingly addictive experience.

Mission of Crisis

Best described as Cannon Fodder with added dogs, Mission of Crisis will keep armchair generals contented. Its military record is only slightly sullied by some dodgy translation work
Score
Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.