Sometimes you don’t want an epic adventure or a hard hitting tale when you sit down for a gaming session. All you want is a light hearted bit of fun that will put a smile on your face. Tiny Troopers: Global Ops by Australian based Epiphany Games and Finnish Kukouri Mobile Entertainment is just that. This fast-paced arcade twin-stick shooter sees you leading an elite squad of “Tiny” Troopers on a number of evermore daring missions with the solo goal of taking down a rogue gallery of evil super powers from all corners of the globe. If the name rings a bell don’t be surprised, as this is the sequel to 2014’s Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops – which Global Ops very much builds upon, but never really evolves things too much.
This is very much the videogame equivalent of popcorn, as it’s great at the time but doesn’t last very long, both in terms of play time and in the memory. Although there are a number of missions split across six campaigns, each only lasts a few minutes, sometimes with some even having a time limit you have to race against to complete. That said when it’s going it is fun, as you and up to three mates can team up to take on the forces of evil – while bagging points and bonuses that will later see you upgrading your trooper with new kit and skills. Like being able to call in air strikes or drop health kits in the heat of some epic firefights. If you are running the game in solo, you can also buff up your AI teammates too – though they have a more limited upgrade tree than yourself. Each campaign comes with its own tale as you face a new super power, all of which are a bit tongue in cheek and mirror more than a few real world dictators let’s say. For the most part the tale is light hearted and aimed a little at a younger audience I would say, but does have a few good jokes in the mix.
Gameplay is a twin-stick affair where you shoot where you look and you can use a few special abilities when things kick off. If you go down in solo, your AI buddies will pick you up and in co-op if you all go down it’s game over. In a lot of ways it’s that simple as each mission tasks you with doing a number of objectives that can be summed up as; go there, shoot that, rescue them or most likely blow that up. Visually the game has a nice cutesy art style that covers the horrors of the countless war crimes your team are committing well. Though there is a real vibe of a mobile game running through it all oddly . Sound wise it does the job with the voice acting being solid, but the soundtrack is forgettable with its spin on military pomp. Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a light hearted and fun twin-stick shooter that hits that arcade thrill spot, yes it’s a little short in ways and maybe a bit childish, but is a solid little palate cleanser or perfect for an evening of fun with mates.
An Xbox review copy of Tiny Troopers: Global Ops was provided by Epiphany Games PR team, and is out now on nearly all platforms for around £20.
The Verdict
Stuart Cullen
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