MicroBot
Encyclopedia
MicroBot is a twin-stick shooter
video game developed by Naked Sky Entertainment
and published by Electronic Arts
. It was released on the Xbox 360
via Xbox Live Arcade
on December 29, 2010 and on PlayStation 3
via the PlayStation Network on January 4, 2011. In the game the player controls a MicroBot; a microscopic robot designed to combat infections in the human body. The robot is tasked with destroying previous generation MicroBots which have become corrupted while fighting disease in the body.
Critics were divided on their opinions of the game, but overall review scores were moderate. Aggregate scores averaged in the 60% range for both platforms at websites GameRankings and Metacritic
. Most reviewers praised the game's visual and audio presentation. They felt that the environments were convincing as areas of the body and that the soundtrack was strong. Critics differed in opinion in regards to gameplay; many praised the addition of local cooperative play and the ability to upgrade the MicroBot with new weaponry and features, but many felt the game did not add enough new gameplay elements to the genre to keep the player interested long-term.
that takes place within a human body. Fictional medial corporation MicroHexon has developed a line of microscopic robots designed to fight infection inside humans. The player controls a fourth-generation MicroBot, the newest iteration of the series. It is tasked with destroying infections caused by now-corrupted previous generation MicroBots. The game begins with the player character floating inside a hypodermic needle
. The MicroBot is then injected into the human body and gameplay begins. The game's levels span across five major areas of the human body with each area consisting of four levels.
The MicroBot can upgrade its weapons to destroy enemies and cure diseases. Weapons can be attached to multiple points on the robot, and each weapon type has different abilities which allows the player to customize their robot as they see fit. Over 20 different weapons can be attached to the robot. Additional attachment slots can be unlocked as players progress. In addition to smaller enemies, the game features five boss battles throughout the campaign. Levels are procedurally generated, meaning that the environment changes somewhat each time the game is played. MicroBot also features a Challenge mode in addition to the main campaign in which players must survive continuous waves of enemies for as long as possible. Local cooperative play for two players is supported. The second player can join or leave the game at any time during gameplay.
and published by Electronic Arts
. It was released on the Xbox 360
via Xbox Live Arcade
on December 29, 2010 and on PlayStation 3
via the PlayStation Network on January 4, 2011. Glazer cited several titles as inspiration for the game; older twin-stick shooters Robotron
and Smash TV
, 2003's Geometry Wars
, the popular dungeon crawler series Diablo
and fellow Electronic Arts title Spore were also cited as inspiration for their elements of customization. During its unveiling critics also cited similarities to the films Osmosis Jones
and The Incredible Journey
. It also was compared to the games R-Type Final
, Einhänder
, and Blasteroids
. In response Jason Haber of Electronic Arts stated "we hope it invokes a lot of pleasant memories of older games but also creates new ones."
In speaking of the game's setting Haber stated "We wanted to take gamers to a place they have rarely visited before — the world inside the human body. The fluid dynamics of the world and the customization of the MicroBot come together to create a unique take on the arcade shooter genre." Naked Sky Entertainment Chief Technical Officer
Joshua Glazer further explained the game's fluid dynamics. "[The game] has a really intense fluid simulation. The fluid isn’t just for graphical effect though- you’ll feel it pushing you around as it spurts and spews all over the place."
reports similar scores; 63/100 for the Xbox 360 and 61/100 for the PlayStation 3. Reviewers were divided in their individual scores on the game. The lowest score came from Edge
, who rated MicroBot 4/10. The highest score, a 95/100, came from Phil Owen of GameFront
. ARS Technica
gave the game a "buy" rating.
Reviewers generally praised the visual and audio design aspects of the game. RunDLC reviewer Chris Buffa praised the visual presentation. "The designers did outstanding work bringing the human body to life, with red blood cells, tissue, veins and bone." Chris Waters of GameSpot
also praised the games visuals. He called them a "vivid imagining of microscopic environments." He noted that the game's setting was convincing due to the visual design and "ethereal, atmospheric" soundtrack. The reviewer from Edge felt that the game made a strong first impression. They called the introduction sequence and soundtrack "high-class presentation". Kristan Reed, reviewer for Eurogamer
, stated that players will want to convince their friends to try the game "thanks to the mere beauty of its organic environments." Dakota Grabowski of GameZone
called the game's soundtrack "beautifully creepy."
Critics were divided on their opinions of MicroBots gameplay mechanics. IGN
's Kristine Steimer felt that the levels were sometimes imbalanced, and that boss fights were occasionally "a pain in the ass". Steimer did note that the inclusion of puzzle elements were "refreshing". The reviewer from Edge felt that the game's procedurally generated level design did not deliver the desired effect of randomized gameplay. They stated that "the absence of a human touch is keenly felt." The reviewer did note the welcome addition of local cooperative multiplayer. Jason Jasicki, reviewer for Machinima.com
also appreciated to addition of cooperative gameplay; he further gave high remarks for the game's "tight controls and customizability." GameSpot's Chris Watters was more critical of gameplay; he called the action "rarely exciting" and "simplistic". Chris Buffa of RunDLC felt that the gameplay did not provide enough new and fresh features to differentiate it from other twin-stick shooters, but praised the addition of cooperative gameplay. He noted that two player cooperative "gives you a chance to strategize with a friend." Marko Djordjevic of GameFocus criticized the pace of the levels, but praised the level of customization GameZone's Dakota Grabowski expressed disappointment in the fact online play was omitted, but conceded that local cooperative play that allows the second player to join or leave the game at any time was a welcome addition.
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
video game developed by Naked Sky Entertainment
Naked Sky Entertainment
Naked Sky Entertainment is an independent game development studio based in Los Angeles. They are a licensed developer for Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Apple iPhone...
and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. It was released on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
on December 29, 2010 and on PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via the PlayStation Network on January 4, 2011. In the game the player controls a MicroBot; a microscopic robot designed to combat infections in the human body. The robot is tasked with destroying previous generation MicroBots which have become corrupted while fighting disease in the body.
Critics were divided on their opinions of the game, but overall review scores were moderate. Aggregate scores averaged in the 60% range for both platforms at websites GameRankings and Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Most reviewers praised the game's visual and audio presentation. They felt that the environments were convincing as areas of the body and that the soundtrack was strong. Critics differed in opinion in regards to gameplay; many praised the addition of local cooperative play and the ability to upgrade the MicroBot with new weaponry and features, but many felt the game did not add enough new gameplay elements to the genre to keep the player interested long-term.
Gameplay
The game is a twin-stick shooterShooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
that takes place within a human body. Fictional medial corporation MicroHexon has developed a line of microscopic robots designed to fight infection inside humans. The player controls a fourth-generation MicroBot, the newest iteration of the series. It is tasked with destroying infections caused by now-corrupted previous generation MicroBots. The game begins with the player character floating inside a hypodermic needle
Hypodermic needle
A hypodermic needle is a hollow needle commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it...
. The MicroBot is then injected into the human body and gameplay begins. The game's levels span across five major areas of the human body with each area consisting of four levels.
The MicroBot can upgrade its weapons to destroy enemies and cure diseases. Weapons can be attached to multiple points on the robot, and each weapon type has different abilities which allows the player to customize their robot as they see fit. Over 20 different weapons can be attached to the robot. Additional attachment slots can be unlocked as players progress. In addition to smaller enemies, the game features five boss battles throughout the campaign. Levels are procedurally generated, meaning that the environment changes somewhat each time the game is played. MicroBot also features a Challenge mode in addition to the main campaign in which players must survive continuous waves of enemies for as long as possible. Local cooperative play for two players is supported. The second player can join or leave the game at any time during gameplay.
Development
MicroBot was unveiled on October 18, 2010 via a press release. It was developed by Naked Sky EntertainmentNaked Sky Entertainment
Naked Sky Entertainment is an independent game development studio based in Los Angeles. They are a licensed developer for Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Apple iPhone...
and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. It was released on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
on December 29, 2010 and on PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via the PlayStation Network on January 4, 2011. Glazer cited several titles as inspiration for the game; older twin-stick shooters Robotron
Robotron
VEB Kombinat Robotron was the biggest East German electronics manufacturer. It was based in Dresden and employed 68,000 people . It produced personal computers, SM EVM minicomputers, the ESER mainframe computers, several computer peripherals as well as home computers, radios and television...
and Smash TV
Smash TV
Smash TV is a 1990 arcade game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams. Home versions were developed for various platforms and most were published by Acclaim Entertainment.-Description:...
, 2003's Geometry Wars
Geometry Wars
Geometry Wars is a minigame created by Bizarre Creations as part of Project Gotham Racing 2 for the Xbox, accessible through the in-game garage. An updated version of the game, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, is available for download on the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. It can also be played in...
, the popular dungeon crawler series Diablo
Diablo (series)
Diablo is an action role-playing game franchise owned and produced by Blizzard Entertainment. , the series has sold over 18.5 million copies worldwide.-Story:...
and fellow Electronic Arts title Spore were also cited as inspiration for their elements of customization. During its unveiling critics also cited similarities to the films Osmosis Jones
Osmosis Jones
Osmosis Jones is a 2001 live-action/animated comedy film directed by Tom Sito and Piet Kroon for the animated segments and the Farrelly brothers for the live-action segments...
and The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey, by British author Sheila Burnford, is a children's book first published by Hodder & they travel 300 miles through the Canadian wilderness searching for their beloved masters. It reveals the suffering and stress of an arduous journey, together with the unwavering loyalty and...
. It also was compared to the games R-Type Final
R-Type Final
R-Type Final is a horizontally-scrolling shooter video game by Irem for the PlayStation 2 video game console originally planned as the last game in the series; however, R-Type Command was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2007.-Story:...
, Einhänder
Einhänder
is a scrolling shooter developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It was released in Japan on November 20, 1997 and in North America on April 30, 1998. It was also re-released for the Japanese PlayStation Network on June 25, 2008...
, and Blasteroids
Blasteroids
Blasteroids is one of the sequels to the original 1979 shoot 'em up video game Asteroids. It was developed by Atari Games and published in 1987 by Image Works for: arcade cabinet, in 1989 for: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64/128, MSX, MS-DOS PC, ZX Spectrum.- Gameplay :The gameplay for the game...
. In response Jason Haber of Electronic Arts stated "we hope it invokes a lot of pleasant memories of older games but also creates new ones."
In speaking of the game's setting Haber stated "We wanted to take gamers to a place they have rarely visited before — the world inside the human body. The fluid dynamics of the world and the customization of the MicroBot come together to create a unique take on the arcade shooter genre." Naked Sky Entertainment Chief Technical Officer
Chief technical officer
A chief technology officer is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupant is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization....
Joshua Glazer further explained the game's fluid dynamics. "[The game] has a really intense fluid simulation. The fluid isn’t just for graphical effect though- you’ll feel it pushing you around as it spurts and spews all over the place."
Reception
MicroBot was met with mixed reception from critics, but moderate reception overall. It currently averages a score of 62.27% for the Xbox 360 and 69.00% for the PlayStation 3 at GameRankings, a video game aggregate website. Fellow aggregate website MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reports similar scores; 63/100 for the Xbox 360 and 61/100 for the PlayStation 3. Reviewers were divided in their individual scores on the game. The lowest score came from Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
, who rated MicroBot 4/10. The highest score, a 95/100, came from Phil Owen of GameFront
FileFront
GameFront is a video game website that provides patches, demos, modifications, and other user generated game related content.- History and ownership :...
. ARS Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
gave the game a "buy" rating.
Reviewers generally praised the visual and audio design aspects of the game. RunDLC reviewer Chris Buffa praised the visual presentation. "The designers did outstanding work bringing the human body to life, with red blood cells, tissue, veins and bone." Chris Waters of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
also praised the games visuals. He called them a "vivid imagining of microscopic environments." He noted that the game's setting was convincing due to the visual design and "ethereal, atmospheric" soundtrack. The reviewer from Edge felt that the game made a strong first impression. They called the introduction sequence and soundtrack "high-class presentation". Kristan Reed, reviewer for Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
, stated that players will want to convince their friends to try the game "thanks to the mere beauty of its organic environments." Dakota Grabowski of GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
called the game's soundtrack "beautifully creepy."
Critics were divided on their opinions of MicroBots gameplay mechanics. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Kristine Steimer felt that the levels were sometimes imbalanced, and that boss fights were occasionally "a pain in the ass". Steimer did note that the inclusion of puzzle elements were "refreshing". The reviewer from Edge felt that the game's procedurally generated level design did not deliver the desired effect of randomized gameplay. They stated that "the absence of a human touch is keenly felt." The reviewer did note the welcome addition of local cooperative multiplayer. Jason Jasicki, reviewer for Machinima.com
Machinima.com
Machinima.com is a gaming and media streaming website, that aims to be a hub for machinima, the art of creating animated videos in real-time virtual 3-D environments. The site features machinima-related articles, and news. Machinima productions can be submitted for possible redistribution after...
also appreciated to addition of cooperative gameplay; he further gave high remarks for the game's "tight controls and customizability." GameSpot's Chris Watters was more critical of gameplay; he called the action "rarely exciting" and "simplistic". Chris Buffa of RunDLC felt that the gameplay did not provide enough new and fresh features to differentiate it from other twin-stick shooters, but praised the addition of cooperative gameplay. He noted that two player cooperative "gives you a chance to strategize with a friend." Marko Djordjevic of GameFocus criticized the pace of the levels, but praised the level of customization GameZone's Dakota Grabowski expressed disappointment in the fact online play was omitted, but conceded that local cooperative play that allows the second player to join or leave the game at any time was a welcome addition.