Robocalypse - first impressions

If you told us a robotics manufacturer accidentally mixed parts from household appliances with prototype military machines to create polite, yet sophisticated deathbots, we’d totally believe you. We’ve seen Terminator and know that clashes for the survival of humankind are imminent. Such is the case in Robocalypse, a deliciously hilarious RTS set for release on the DS this summer from upstart developer Vogster.

Not content with bringing about the end of the world, new robots are implanted with brain scans of WWII vets and sent into battle. If this sounds completely over the top, it should. Robocalypse was written by famed Nickelodeon writers Micah Wright (The Angry Beavers) and Jay Lender (SpongeBob). Their ironic sense of humor figures into the ridiculous animated cutscenes with characters like Roger Smashteeth and battle cries like “For the Gipper!”

Robocalypse features RTS standards like base construction and control point battles, yet with a streamlined control scheme. Tap construction pads and then the “Build” indicator for bases. For units, tap the base and “Build” again. Simple and lets you worry mostly about skirmishes and strategy. Advancement is done by tapping the map to place an Action Flag. Your units will automatically advance and you have the option of when to tap “Defend” when you’ve gotten over your head.