Space Marshals
| Space Marshals | |
|---|---|
| The cover art for the game | |
| Developer(s) | PixelBite |
| Publisher(s) | PixelBite |
| Platforms | iOS, Android |
| Release date(s) | January 8, 2015 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Space Marshals is a third-person shooter science fiction video game.[1] The game was released by PixelBite for iOS on January 8, 2015.[2] The Android version was released on April 10, 2015.[3] In the game, the player is tasked with taking out various criminals and their henchmen.[4] A top-down third-person shooter, Space Marshals focuses heavily on stealth elements, forcing the player to sneak around enemies to avoid being attacked.[5] A sequel to the game is currently in development.[6][7]
Synopsis
The game is set in the Wild West, and the player is tasked with bringing criminals to justice.[4] The player takes on the role of the main protagonist, Burt.[8] Characterized as "arrogant", Burt is a former space marshal who was stripped of his rank for "inappropriate use of firearms during an interrogation" and thrown into a holding cell aboard the space ship.[9] He and two others free themselves during a prison breakout in which all the guards and crew are killed and take control of the space ship, steering it into the lawless reaches of the Backspace.[9][10] The three team up to hunt down fugitives in the galaxy, assisted by an AI known as T.A.M.I.[11]
Gameplay
There are currently a total of 3 chapters in the game, a total of 28 missions.[7] The player has access to four different weapon slots, which they can customize with different weapons.[10] Two of the slots are for guns, one is for a distraction device, and the other is for a pipe bomb or grenade. The different weapons which can be used in the game range from shotguns to crossbows to axes.[12] The player's gear can also be customized, and has different effects based on the type of gear used.[12]
After the completion of each level, the player gets a ranking as to how well their performance was, from 1–5 "stars".[4] The rating in stars is based on various factors, such as the number of player deaths, the number of high-value targets eliminated, and the number of clues found.[10] The more stars that the player earns, the more rewards are available for them to unlock at the end of the level.[4] These rewards include weapons, bombs, distraction devices and armor.
The player can also switch between offensive mode, and stealth mode.[4] In offensive mode, the player has the advantage of being able to run quickly, but in stealth mode, the player can't be shot when behind a fence, bush, oil can or other various types of objects. However, in stealth mode, the player has to walk at a far slower pace.[10]
The player has access to only limited ammunition in the game.[4] All types of weapons have only limited ammunition available, and if the player runs out of ammunition for that specific weapon, then they can no longer use the weapon until they pick up more ammunition which can be found lying in various parts of each level's map.[13] Each type of weapon also has a maximum amount of ammunition that can be held for it at any one time.
Development
The development of Space Marshals was first announced on September 18, 2014, with the launch date set for January 8, 2015.[14][15] Several illustrations of the game and a trailer were released in October.[16][17] It was released for iOS on the 9th.[4][18] At that point the game only contained a single chapter.[4][19][20] The second chapter of the game was released as a free expansion on January 27, 2015.[21][22] The Android version was announced on February 17, 2015,[23] and released on April 10, 2015.[3][24] The third and final chapter was announced on July 30, 2015.[25][26] It was released as a free update on August 13, 2015.[27][28]
The second installment in the series was announced on August 14, 2015.[7][29] It is set for release sometime in June 2016.[6][30]
Reception
| Space Marshals | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||
The game received mostly positive reviews from critics.[31] Many reviews were impressed by the simplicity of the game's dual-stick controls, and how well they worked with the style and pace of the game.[4][32] Other reviews praised the replay value of the game, and how playing it several times over and over was still just as captivating as the first playthrough.[33] Critics also found the graphics in the game to be very smooth, especially for a mobile game,[34] with Time Magazine calling it "an amazingly animated iOS game".[35] The rewards system was also praised by reviewers, as it makes it possible for players finding a level too easy, to try harder and get better rewards.[13]
Several reviews criticized the game for its lack of length, with only a short number of levels.[4][19] However, the game later went on to receive two further chapters of gameplay.[25][27]
The game later went on to become Apple's free app of the week[12][36] and won Editor's choice on the Apple App Store.[37]
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Cite error: Invalid <references> tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.
<references />, or <references group="..." />External links
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
