Spyborgs Updated Hands-On

Spyborgs is unashamedly inspired by Saturday morning cartoons--with the all-out action, cheesy dialogue, and power-crazed villains--and it's certainly not a game that takes itself too seriously. That means it's a fairly simple action game and certainly something you can play with kids--just don't expect a deep storyline or competitive multiplayer. We received a copy of the retail build and took another gander at the game before release.

The game skips a superfluous introductory cutscene in favour of getting straight into the thick of battle, and you immediately get to choose from the game's three main characters: Bouncer, a burly robot; Clandestine, a female ninja; and Stinger, a beefed-up soldier. The spyborgs are a group of elite, cybernetically enhanced soldiers, and when they are betrayed by their former leader, it's up to the remaining team members to strike back and stop his evil plans. You play as one character at a time, but you can switch with your chosen teammate on the fly and change your lineup at the end of each level.

While the game is a cakewalk at the lower difficulty levels, the harder difficulties are much more challenging, asking you to frequently block attacks and successfully string combos together. Thankfully, there's a range of items to collect that will aid you in battle. These will recharge your health, give you points to spend on performance upgrades, grant temporary invincibility, or recharge your power meter. There are also hidden crates and items that appear almost invisible, and you can reveal these with your spyvision skill. You just have to point the Wii Remote at the item, press a button, and then swing the remote upward.

You can also fill your power meter by defeating enemies, and once it's full, you can perform a powerful team combo. These are executed through quick-time events and unleash a combined attack with your teammates, such as an aerial combo where you fling the enemy at your teammate who then throws the enemy to the ground. You need to match the onscreen gestures to successfully implement this, and if you're unsuccessful, your meter will lose a small amount of power. It's also only useful against a single enemy--rather than a group--so it's best to save it for the tougher opponents.

Spyborgs features some great destructible physics, which makes beating your enemies to a pulp all the more satisfying. In addition, most objects and even surfaces, such as concrete, will show signs of distress when they meet your fury. The overall look of Spyborgs definitely suits the Saturday-morning cartoon, with plenty of explosions, crazy-looking enemies, and comic book-style prompts. If you're looking for some lighthearted fun, then check out Spyborgs for yourself when it launches on September 25.