Let’s be real: if you’ve ever wanted to take part in an epic battle that involves a twelve-foot-tall armored mech while battling cyborg hordes you probably have a pretty vivid imagination or an unhealthy amount of mecha-related newspaper clippings. Enter Assault Suit Leynos, a delightfully retro run-and-gun extravaganza that initially debuted in 1990 and found its way back to the present day on the PS4. This game had me feeling nostalgic for both my childhood and the time I'd spent pretending to be a giant robot for hours on end. So let’s suit up and get into it!
In Assault Suit Leynos, you're taking on the role of Rex, the Assault Suit Wing commander who... well, let’s face it, he doesn’t do a whole lot of winging. He jumps into his giant suit, shades the intricacies of the universe and hops from one interstellar mess to another, blasting anything that dares cross his path. The game features eight stages, a plot that could be summarized as ‘shoot all the things,’ and a weapon selection that would make any modern armory designer green with envy. We're talking about 14 different types of weaponry, each providing a unique flavor to your carnage. Each stage completion has its own scoring system that determines the availability of weapons and upgrades in the next stage. Finally, we get to appreciate the true genius of a run-and-gun. Sure, you can run and you can gun – but also you still have to jump, because, boy, some of those enemies *really* don’t have your best interests at heart. Also, here’s a fun fact: while the game claims to be a single-player experience, not-so-covertly, it's possible for a second player to have limited control over enemy movement. So if you’ve ever wanted to be the world’s worse wingman, I mean, there’s your chance!
Graphically, Assault Suit Leynos is where nostalgia meets the crispness of modern technology. The game does a delightful job of combining retro aesthetics with updated graphics that pop. You can almost hear the sound of 90s kids’ hearts stopping in awe at the smooth animations and vibrant backgrounds. The mech designs are both nostalgic and catchy; you might just find yourself wanting a giant mech suit of your own. The character designs are strangely reminiscent enough of classic anime styles that you might begin to wonder if you've stumbled upon an episode of a long-lost series instead of a video game. Overall, it's a visual treat that marries old-school charm with new-age polish.
So, there you have it! Assault Suit Leynos is a blast from the past that manages to successfully strut its stuff in a modern gaming landscape. It captures that nostalgic run-and-gun magic while incorporating elements that make it fresh for a new generation. Sure, the plot isn’t going to win any Oscars, and the single-player claim might need a asterisk, but if you’re in the mood for some good ol’ mech-shooting fun, this game’s got your back – just like Rex's trusty Assault Suit! Suit up, jump in, and may your enemies be as clueless as my high school crush.