Game Reviews

Cybersaurus 3D Review

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| Cybersaurus 3D
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Cybersaurus 3D Review
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| Cybersaurus 3D

Millions of years ago, the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex roamed the terrain of prehistoric Earth. The greatest predator the planet has ever known hunted meals using cunning and brute force, shredding the flesh of his herbivorous prey with rows of sharp teeth and the help of his tiny forearms. The tracts of land trod upon by this beast are the very same underneath our feet, supporting us as we walk down the street downloading new iPhone games from the App Store.

Our pal T-Rex may have long vanished from the earth, but that hasn't stopped him from getting with the times. Oh no, this beast is still on the hunt with the help of cybernetics and a little ammunition. Cybersaurus 3D brings ancient action into the future, casting you as a robotic dinosaur--robosaur, if you will--to defend humanity. In the year 2513, dinosaurs have returned to retake the galaxy and mankind's only hope is beat them using their own advanced technology.

It's an outrageous adventure that's unfortunately not near as fun as it sounds. Cybersaurus 3D ambitiously aims for console-style action, but ends up shooting blanks on iPhone. Rough graphics, sketchy controls, and hollow gameplay leave this dino dead on arrival.

Saving humanity from the robosaur onslaught means destroying outposts on six planets. The terrain varies on each planet from the rocky outcroppings and lava pools on Magmik 5 to the chilly surface of Antartika. Only two planets are unlocked when you first start the game, the other becoming available once you've located a hyper-drive to transport you to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Whether you'll want to stick around for the ride, however, is questionable.

Controlling your mechanized dinosaur involves tapping an on-screen directional pad. Only three directions (forward, left, and right) prevent any reverse movements, which contributes to a long list of problems. Responsiveness easily tops the list; a slight delay exists between when you touch a button and your robosaur moves. Even worse, a glitch occasionally causes the left or right directional buttons to toggle on, which essentially has your robosaur spinning in circles until you reset the game.

Two camera keys to the right of the directional pad allow you to adjust the firing reticle situated in the center of the screen. After taking aim, you can fire at an enemy with a press of the red fire key. Switching among your plasma rifle, machine gun, and rocket launcher is as easy as hitting the "W" button located beneath the fire key.

These controls are simple enough, yet far from agile enough to keep up with the fast pace of combat. It's common to watch your robosaur get sent back to the stone age by a cybernetic anklyosaur while you struggle to find the right shooting angle. Many enemies can be avoided, which is usually the best option considering how difficult it is to land a shot. Others, such as turrets or flying foes, are a pain to deal with and zap what little fun there's to be had in the game.

Factor these flaws against deficient graphics and it becomes clear that Cybersaurus 3D is far from finished. Lots of pop up and clipping is visible--it's common to see your robosaur's mechanic legs dig deep into a hillside or walk over thin air. Muddy textures and stuttering on the galaxy map don't add any appeal. It's hard to believe anyone could take over the galaxy with this sort of presentation.

Perhaps our deceased dino pals would have been better off resting in peace than trying their hand at intergalactic domination. If they can't even take control of their own iPhone action game, what sort of chance could they possibly have at putting the galaxy underfoot?

Cybersaurus 3D Review

A mediocre mesozoic adventure that clearly needed more time to evolve.
Score
Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.