Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Metal Arms: Glitch in the System

Written by Chris Reiter on January 06, 2004

Full Review: This is what happens when you feed your robots Energizer batteries. They keep killing, and swearing...

Robots are cool. There's just something inexplicably delectable about these metal beings that makes people's eyes widen in awe from the raw power giant-sized ones bring to the picture, or the humor and adorability that the tinier ones portray throughout distinctive mediums that display these character traits. Yes, like humans, robots have customarily been customized for decades (mostly in film and gaming samples) to feature humanistic personalities, while still embodying a very machinelike nature. With those thoughts in mind, Vivendi Universal should be proud as owner of the very first video game product to present an action-oriented shooter exclusively exhibiting robots in their very practice to be just that: a robot.

Apparently, robots don't like it when tyrannical robot dictators -- particularly one by the name of General Corrosive -- aim to take over an entire planet called Iron Star that's been inhabited by their own species. Especially when it comes to Glitch, a tiny dysfunctional droid found laying amidst the rubble of war. Repaired and reactivated by those who oppose Corrosive's ideals for destruction, Glitch explains who he is and that he must put a stop to Corrosive's own despicable game. Glitch may not seem like somebody capable of matching might against the despotic Corrosive at first. Despite outer appearances though, a book shouldn't be judged by its cover alone. Embodying a certain unexplained past tied into the General's history, this "Glitch" has been fixed to kick robotic butt the only way a robot knows how.

To say that Metal Arms is one of the more unique findings offered this year, it would be. To say that Metal Arms is totally original by its lonesome, that's a doubtful answer. Metal Arms isn't your typical action game by any stretch. You're a robot named Glitch who has many abilities to his advantage, and then some. But like most original releases, its influence must derive from somewhere. What Metal Arms: Glitch in the System is most reminiscent of is Sony's own Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando released earlier this year. Both titles share similar properties. Both games feature a small droid that can team up with other bots to blow apart enemies, and both games feature upgrades to weapons that can be bought from vendors with the spending money snatched from fallen enemies. Although there is still much truth in this matter, Glitch IS the only hero of Metal Arms within a completely different genre, yet executed in a very similar gameplay style as its comparable counterpart.

Think of Glitch more as a combining of Ratchet and Clank. Where Ratchet is the only one able to use gadgets and weaponry, Clank can only become a gadget himself or lead other fellow bots to help him in passing obstacles. Glitch is very akin to these two characters, as he'll have access to a hefty bevy of goods that he can utilize. But also, Glitch will reach points in the game where other robots are more than willing to stake their life on the performance of Glitch, a small but capable in more ways than one robot. What exactly can Glitch do? Let's put it this way: he's able to dismember arms, heads, bodies, and the legs too right off the bodies of his foes, creating a little touch of humor when a droid's lingering machinegun arm is detaching and firing at its own Mil forces (the General's army). Even further at times, any Mil's legs will still function if they weren't already shot to pieces, as the legs literally and aimlessly run around the firelight as if they're looking for their missing body. And how does all of this happen? Let's put it this way: weapons, and lots of them.

He's a little dude, but even the smallest of robots can pack a mean punch. Glitch's travels through more than 40 levels of frag-blasting gameplay will have him armed with selectable devices from laser, slingshot, shotgun, machinegun, and even every robot's favorite, grenade launcher types of weapons. Glitch can also pick up various grenade assortments that he can toss simultaneously with his left and secondary arm as he can fire weapons with his primary right, in a decent range of grenade differences to choose -- from ones that ignite surrounding areas to ones that will temporarily cease the functioning of an enemy, depending on its ilk. No one weapon in Glitch's arsenal is ever the same as another one, however, certain items are just more practical overall. Meaning, players may end up sticking to the grenade launcher that will destroy most enemies in one blast rather than the weaker mining laser that, while it doesn't posses a set number of ammo to its name, it does need to refill its ammo automatically, slowly even. Then again, that's why there's upgrades.

In Ratchet and Clank's second outing, the duo was able to purchase most of their weaponry from vendors found at the entry of each level, where upgrades to the weapons naturally soaked in the more a specific device was put to the test. Here in Metal Arms, the difference resides on the flip side. For the most part, Glitch gets his blaster masters handed to him before or after missions proceed. At certain points in his trek as well, Glitch will stumble upon new weapons. On the other hand, Metal Arms doesn't have any RPG elements to its name like the second Ratchet and Clank does. Although, it does feature its own sort of item depots, which are exclusive only to particular stages in the game. A pair of robots named Shady and Mr. Pockets signal Glitch over once he's close enough to their position within the level location they'll be waiting for him in, unfolding a table that offers many choice items from health, to grenades, and upgrades. These enhancements pertain to every weapon Glitch can obtain, powering them up and even introducing larger ammunition rounds. If you don't like your Rivet gun that shoots singular metal bolts anymore, you can find these merchants, update its functions, and now let it unleash ammo that not only fires metal pins quickly, but ones that will explode onto whatever body they've attached. Being in a relation with Ratchet and Clank 2 in some ways still, the upgrades cost something of a fortune. Not pricey in extremely high ranges, but the way Glitch earns currency, like in Ratchet and Clank 2, is by gathering washers sometimes scattered from defeated enemies (which also leave behind more ammo). Since there are no breakable items that house extra earnings inside Glitch's adventure like there is in Ratchet and Clank 2, picking up washers is something of a rarity. So in expecting many washers or even spare washers would be a godsend in itself.

Alone Glitch is powerful, but even heroes are lent a helping hand now and again. One of the more intriguing aspects of Metal Arms is that there's not just your run of the mill gun straightforward action here. But in fact, Glitch will fight alongside his fellow droids. Or players can even get control of significant characters at times, including both good and bad guys. About half way through the game, Glitch will earn a Control Tether device used to jack into Mil robots when he's snuck up behind one of them from a distance. You'll be able to get up to and move and literally blow up other enemies harnessed through their own breed of weaponry functions. This method at times leaves them getting dead mostly because they can't handle TOO much of a good fight up against many of their own kind, but at least that's one more Mil you won't have to kill. The same procedure works through fixed consoles that assimilate arcade machines Glitch is able to step up to and relinquish expendable enemy droid lookalikes unto others like them. Variety ensues when Glitch at times will not be even playing as himself, albeit, you'll be in control of other characters from Krunk (a spider-like robot who builds things like the aforementioned Control Tether that he himself demos in one level) to Mozer (an enormously sized robot equipped with a metal pole that's able to swat multiple opponents all at once). Allies will even hop inside vehicles Glitch has the ability to pilot. In Krunk's case at one point, he'll be the gunner while Glitch is the driver. Glitch even has the power to pilot vehicles of his own performance, from mega-sized tanks to hover vehicles with a set of operable claws and one very fast-acting machinegun. Not only that, Glitch will discover in his travels one, maybe two, or even a handful of friendly robots at times he'll end up fighting alongside with. If you're looking for a lot of diversity in your shooter, Metal Arms is definitely one of the better games to come along this year that deals it in spades.

There is not one, but several modes of control issues here. Glitch is the kind of robot that's always on the move. One minute he's defending himself from both small and large Mils, to hopping inside a hummer-like vehicle heading down a mountain pass filled with explosive canisters. Fortunately, Metal Arms is a relatively easy game to pick up and play. Controlling Glitch for example has him performing jumps with X, selecting primary and secondary weapon selections with square and circle, operating machinery with triangle, moving and maintaining the camera with the analog sticks, and then firing both weapon selections with L1 and R1. Easy stuff. Unfortunately, certain control issues differ a bit, mostly when inside vehicles. Some aren't too hard to get the hang of, while others are a bit awkward. This happens when Glitch has to race the clock in the hummer vehicle using the left analog to go up and the right analog to turn left or right, only with an annoying inverted pitch as its default. Another troublesome part to playing Metal Arms is that specifically, the game's mission values are too vague. Sure enough at times, there'll be plenty of moments where Glitch will have to run through a level just blowing everything up in his path. But then not everything is explained well enough to Glitch, and most of the time not anything will even be explained to Glitch at all. Outside these recurring defects though, Metal Arms usually fills for fun in its fulfillment.

Aside from the single player campaign, there does lie seven possibilities of a four-way matchup for up to one player with two to three friends for rallying up in. Metal Arms' multiplayer options aren't accessible from the very beginning, though. It's only by stuffing Glitch's pockets with secret chips that can be obtained within the single player mission that gamers will come to unlock more and more of each of these particular matches. For the most part however, the arena battles that take place here are variations of death match. Highlights in options include regular "blow everyone up," to timed "blow everyone up," to a King of the Hill match to "be the first to blow everyone up," and even a Control Tether venue where you'll get to hack into other robots and fight friends with only the weapons of enemy robots in order to "blow them up." These veins of play can be entertaining for those who enjoy entering into similar killing modes, but for everyone else the multiplayer in Metal Arms isn't as miscellaneous in nature as its one player-only campaign rounds turn out to be.

Describing the appearance of Metal Arms can be tricky on the eyes. The game looks good as it doesn't look that good. You could certainly say that much work went into the creation of Glitch. Brimming with metallic texturing, Glitch's gray and yellow miner symbolic body is an interesting sight. No more than a box shaped body with a backpack, boxy legs, a spherical head and shoulder joints, and metal arms attached, Glitch isn't the most complex of designs, but he does do his job of looking good and he does it well. Mils and Glitch's allies alike almost share a sameness on the level of detail gone into making their bodies complete, even if their entireties don't compare to Glitch's on the design ratio. Don't get me wrong though. Each character model is seemingly stable. It's just that Glitch is given an extra touch with blinking lights on his backside and even weaponry, where everyone else is fashioned to a degree that is almost identical to Glitch's level of craftsmanship, except not. Just know that the game's modeling work is good stuff, especially when the animation is involved.

Between Glitch's point of view to the one where he's stuck inside a moveable machine, there's a great balance of physics happening in all the action there is to see on the screen. Glitch can jump forward, backward, or sideways, while at the same time an antenna attached to his back will bend and twist to the will of gravity. As individual enemies get shot at more, their weapon arms will tilt and spread machinegun rounds all over the place whilst running amok in circles as if the end of the world was approaching. Vehicles can be driven to tumble into the air and flip over on the ground, and sections in levels such as bridges can be shot at to collapse and crumble all in a wondrous display. Effects are another something Metal Arms boasts in a healthy supply of too. Weapon fire illuminates across the screen as it bursts onto the bodies of enemy Mils, ceilings crumble as minerals leak to the ground below, shadows are cast by every model, and real-time lightning effects rub off on these same figures too. The glowing hues of light sources -- not from a weapon but of fiery chasms or the glaring red lights of an enemy laboratory, make their presence known across Glitch's body.

If there's one property that alters the decency of Metal Arm's visual feats though, it's that its stages aren't that pretty. Many of these levels are fine and fit into Glitch's adventurous travels, although there are instances where the walls may seem to mush together in what looks like a gathering of blurriness. Textures don't bring out these areas either very well. Glitch will traverse through caverns, gun enshrined enemy stations, laboratories, mountain ranges and that sort of thing. Through much rock, steel bearings, windowpanes, and vented floors, you can get the idea that there's a bit of a difference in each of the game's many levels, but only a bit that doesn't offer much of anything stunning and dynamic as realism would allow for it.

Equally worse off at times can be the voice acting found in Metal Arms. On the whole, the story portions of the game attempts to empower the story just about every chance it gets with censored expletives. For this reviewer, I can understand the matter in which the jest's brunt might reach out to a younger crowd. As for myself though, I've grown up and out of that format of immaturity, having experienced it too many times in loads of mediums already. Unless you're someone who'd still have a blast listening to shouting beeps, I could point out funnier. While the dialogue isn't much, the voices used to enact these scenes are okay at least. Every character sounds like they should, with characters like Glitch using a faded kind of cool electronic tone of voice, Krunk sounding off in a grouchy "bleeping" voice, and even the tradesmen Shady and Mr. Pockets that while they don't contribute to the story, they capture that one weasely and that one dum-dum act well enough. Enemy bots on the other end speak out at times too, but what they say isn't much and consists mostly of high and some low-pitched annoyance. From "Can I see your clearance pass?" to "Enemy alert!" and the yelps that follow after getting shot, it's better left to be said that the voice productions in Metal Arms aren't breaking the mold by any means possible.

Completely devoid of a musical score in certain areas, that continues to transform from fast to slow and electronic rhythms at times: the tunes of Metal Arms are certainly one of its oddest accompanying aspects. Not great, not good, just there when they're around -- Metal Arms and music aren't logically intertwined into a function that seems to fit for its betterment as the game tends to pass it off for the plethora of sounds. In the game's element of audio, there shines a solid selection in distinctive laser blasts, sprays of bullets pounding what they'll touch, grenades hitting the dirt with a charging burst effect following through, and even the clanks of Glitch company's feet fidgeting upon the varying mass of surfaces. Hell, your ears will even take note to the ammo whizzing by or directly off the body of Glitch or another character who's currently being employed. Even with all of these sufficient noises collaborating with one another though, there's still one specific sound that pops up from time to time and kind of gets in the way of striking that blissful balance between what's good and what's not good for the ear to want to hear. Like its own "Glitch in the System," this noise is arranged of a boiling fart that will occur often in every stage it seems. This persistent and irksome addition could brew one's perspective toward thinking that the developers were trying to sabotage the game's audio more than to salvage it.