There's something about giant monsters and
explosive weaponry that just feels right - maybe
it's just the whole Horror B-Movie aspect
of it all, but I think everyone's inclined
to imagine thrashing about causing wanton
destruction now and then. Destructopus by
GlitchSoft tries to put a positive spin on
the actions of the giant be-tentacled behemoth
wreaking havoc across the countryside as you
attempt to crush the humans who would exploit
the endangered species of the planet.
It may be a soft motivation, but it's reason
enough to start barreling your way through
cities destroying everything in your path.
Your ultimate goal is to survive each level,
destroying what you can and freeing trapped
animals at the end, though this is easier
said than done. The controls may be easy to
learn, but the execution leaves a lot to be
desired as players fight against the ponderous
nature of the giant creature they're controlling.
While it's realistic to have each swing, bite,
step or crouch take time to complete, it leaves
little room for reacting accordingly to the
plethora of incoming projectiles. Earlier
on this isn't so much of a problem, but later
levels start to punish you for not having
pre-emptive reflexes to keep your giant creature
alive.
All is not lost though and the mindless Rampage-like
gameplay is further accentuated by its simple
cartoonish style and retro-MIDI grind music
reminiscent of titles like the original Doom.
Upgrades can be purchased between levels,
with further weapons and upgrade levels unlocking
as you progress in the game. Special weapons
and a second playable character are also available,
though these will cost extra. There's not
a huge amount of levels available and unless
you're pedantic the replay value is limited
to gaining '3 stars' on levels (which is much
easier once you're upgraded), but updates
have added more levels, hopefully with more
to come later on.
If you can forgive the clunky gameplay, Destructopus
can be great way to de-stress as you blast
your way through buildings and high-tech weaponry
in this environmentally motivated quest.
