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Assault Android Cactus switches to a plus-sized campaign

Androids rule, robots drool

The Switch's rise continues to be a boon to us PC folks. Yesterday, our version of my favouritest twin-stick shooter, Assault Android Cactus, got all the upgrades from its recent Switch debut, free. Now titled Assault Android Cactus+, devs Witch Beam have bulked it up with a bundle of new features, including Campaign+ mode, a second loop through the game's story mode. Daring players can now face down endgame enemies from the very beginning, remixed bosses and some downright intense bullets patterns to dodge. The game is also on sale, before a price increase tomorrow.

It's not often that a four-year-old arcade game gets an overhaul, but thanks to Assault Android Cactus's slick Dreamcast-inspired art direction, I don't feel like it has aged a day. The fast, bassy soundtrack still bangs, the explosions are nice, and the upgrades (detailed in full here) go a long way to extending the fun. The Campaign+ mode is genuinely intense, with the very first level being significantly longer, far more difficult and more varied. The new mode has its own leaderboards, too, and completing levels in the new Campaign+ mode with each character unlocks new skins.

Cover image for YouTube video

Effectively, the new mode doubles the game's size to fifty story levels, plus challenge modes. There's also been some improvements to accessibility. There are auto-aim and revive assist options, making precise aiming and button-mashing less essential. You can also revive yourself after a knockdown by holding fire instead of mashing, too, although it's not quite as fast as hammering on it. Sadly there's still no online multiplayer, but if you can't rustle up some buddies for local co-op, you can add up to three AI-controlled buddies to the mix, with enemy spawns scaling to match.

Assault Android Cactus+ is on sale for £5.49/€6.99/$7.49 on Steam, along with a free demo. Owing to the upgrades, the game's base price will be higher after this sale ends Thursday, 6pm GMT. I highly recommend snapping it up now. It's brill.

Disclosure: Former RPSer Cara Ellison voiced Peanut, one of the unlockable shooty android girls. She's the rusty, eyepatched one with the drill, and in the game?

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Assault Android Cactus

PS4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Wii U, PC, Mac

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Dominic Tarason

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