Metal Combat is a Windows Phone arcade game where you guide a team of combat cats through various battle zones in an effort to save their friend who has been captured.
Available for low-memory Windows Phones, the game has forty levels of play that are spread out across four map packs. There are plenty of weapons to buy and upgrade and game play is simple to pick up on but not without challenge. Metal Combat comes across as a fun arcade game for Windows Phone but full-screen ads may ruin the gaming experience for many.
Before we jump into things, the same game is available on iTunes (Rambo Combat) and Google Play (Super Spy Cat). All three are listed in the respective stores differently but have the same game play and are from the same developer. You will also not that the Windows Phone version has a title difference with the game listed as Metal Combat and the gaming screens referring to the game as Rambo Combat.
Not sure as to the why but we did confirm that these were in fact one in the same game with the developer.
Back to the game…
Metal Combat (we'll go with that title for consistency) has a trouble free main menu with options to access the game's settings, view more games from the developer, check your daily gifts and jump into game play. Daily gifts range from gaming cash to weapons bonuses to extra lives.
Settings are fairly basic and include music/sound effects levels as well as graphics levels (high or low).
Your first order of business as you head into game play is to choose a gaming character. Currently, you only have one option so the choice isn't too difficult. More gaming characters are displayed and marked "Coming Soon".
From there you work your way through the forty levels of combat that are spread across four backdrops that include the city, forest, park and garage. Your first mission is more tutorial in nature and will cover the basics of game play.
In a nutshell, your cat has to navigate through each level and shoot the bad cats, who incidentally are trying to shoot your cat. Movement from cover to cover is automatic but you will be responsible for jumping over any obstacles that are between points of cover. Firing your weapon is accomplished by tapping the screen on your target.
The gaming screen will have you gaming cash and health levels displayed in the upper left corner and your score in the upper right. At the bottom of the gaming screen are four control buttons that handle your reloading, grenade toss, shield activation and thunder strike (destroys all enemies) actions.
Challenges of game play have your enemies popping out from bushes, from windows, from rooftops and just about every nook and cranny available on the screen. You'll need to be careful on what you shoot because every now and then innocent bystanders will appear in a window or doorway that if shot, will cost you health points.
The game also throws a few curves balls at you that will test your reaction and speed. For example, you'll stumble upon a bomb and have to enter a code into a keypad before it explodes. The game will give you the code but don't be surprised if it takes a few seconds for everything to register before you act.
Before each gaming level, you will have the opportunity to stock up on ammunition, grenades as well as buy new or upgrade your weapon. Gaming cash is earned during game play or is available through in-app purchase.
Keep in mind that ammunition is only free with one weapon (a handgun). You will need to stock up on ammo for the more powerful assault rifles before you jump into game play. If you run low on cash for ammo, strap on the handgun and replay some of the easier levels to build up your bank account.
Overall Impression
Metal Combat is a fun, casual combat arcade game. The game will test your reactions, timing and speed while navigating through the various combat missions. Graphics are decent and game play challenging enough to keep things from growing dull too quickly.
While the game itself is worth trying, what puts a major dent in Metal Combat's entertainment value is pop-up ads that are full screen. These ads are annoying when they are limited to the end of a mission but with Metal Combat, these ads pop-up all over the place. The only saving grace is that they do not pop up in the middle of a mission.
I understand the need for ad-support in games but as I've said before, they should not distract from the game at hand. Some games do use the full-screen ads in moderation to lessen the impact but Metal Combat seems to lack any moderation.
At last check the game is only pulling down a 3 Star rating in the Windows Phone Store with stability issues being cited by many reviewers - issues I did not experience. Still, I wouldn't rate Metal Combat much higher due to the full-screen ads. The game itself isn't too shabby, probably a 4 Star game, but the ads are rather annoying.
Note: Metal Combat was recently updated to version 1.3.2.1, which adds a few new weapons to the mix and snow effects for the Holidays.
