Star Fox: Assault

I promptly blazed through the story missions in the span of about a day. There are only ten missions, and no alternate paths like Star Fox 64, though some of the missions consist of multiple parts and can actually be a bit lengthy. In terms of replay, there isn't a lot here, other than going for a high score, and unlocking (two) extra parts of the Versus multiplayer. Which, incidentally, I haven't spent much time with, but appears kind of underwhelming (there are a lot of options in terms of levels and armaments, but no AI bots, so the battlefields are rather barren).

Followers of the franchise will know that Assault consists of a combination of Arwing, Landmaster, and on-foot 'Pilot' segments, but know that it's nothing like the travesty that was Star Fox Adventures. For one, the Arwing portions are great; and the on-foot missions are actually some of the most fun, due in large part to the various weapons available (including machine guns, gatling guns, homing rocket launchers, and sniper rifles). The Landmaster is pretty dull, but isn't used very often. What's really cool is that in many situations, you must actually use a combination of means to complete a mission, e.g. infiltrate a building on foot, then hop in your Arwing to fly to the next target. The switching dynamic is seamless and extremely well done. Worth mentioning are also the two rail-shooting segments, where Fox hops on the wing of a friend's fighter and blasts trailing enemies; simple, but fun.

The game also looks and sounds incredible. The Arwing boost effects are dazzling, and the Star Fox Assault Orchestrated Soundtrack isn't just a bonus for soundtrack aficionados - the game was actually scored by the Tokyo New City Orchestra. Stunning presentation and a brilliantly fun single player, despite a lack of replay and underwhelming multiplayer; a brief but great play.

Progress: Complete