While playing Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainoids, there’s nothing that screams XCOM. Yet, just as engaging as Julian Gallop’s most famous game was, this offers the same kind of ingenuity. It blends RTS with tower defence, sprinkling in some action elements along the way. It instantly reminded me of last year’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, except it’s much more light-hearted. The colourful world and quirky characters, stripped back yet engaging gameplay, and replayability make for a fun time.
Aliens and humans are trying gather an important resource known as Branium. The extra-terrestrials are trying to take it from Earth, and it’s up to a young inventor called Chip and his robotic feline companion to stop them. There’s no deeper story than that. Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainoids is all about creating an enjoyable gameplay loop. For the most part it manages to do so, even if it begins to feel a little too familiar with every new mission the more progress you make.
It’s easy to get used to what’s expected. To mine the Branium, you’ll need to build mining outposts so that your robots can gather it. Aliens land and try to steal it for themselves while trying to take out your robots and destroy your buildings. There are various robots that can be built, and the more you play; the more variety there is. Melee robots, shooters, and flying robots become available, as do other contraptions such as turrets. However, you don’t just watch everything unfold like traditional RTS titles.
As Chip, you can aid your robot companions by attacking aliens, but that gameplay does get repetitive. Unlike Kunitsu-Gami, you have limited attacks. It’s also easy to get overwhelmed if you haven’t built enough robots to aid you. Using the Branium collected allows you to build what is needed in any given situation, and you can almost always simply spawn multiple robots to go and wipe out the alien threat. There is a layer of strategy, but more robots means more chance of wiping out the enemy in almost every mission.
It takes a bit of time to get used to building, moving around the map, and fighting as Chip. There’s a Command View that lets you see things easier from a tactical point-of-view. Once you understand the fundamentals and utilise this mechanic, Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainoids becomes rather addictive. Once you know how everything works, there’s a certain satisfaction to moving around the map, planning your approach, and getting stuck in to close combat with the enemy.
Each mission has various objectives. Some times it might not be possible to complete all at once, and that’s where replayability comes in. There are also large-scale battles that are essentially controlled chaos, along with boss fights to mix things up. It’s possible to play with friends in drop-in couch co-op if you want, or with others online. There are also battles online to participate in, giving you a reason to take everything you’ve learned in the campaign and test it out against the rest of the world.
It’s such a colourful world. The characters are vibrant and outgoing, making this a great introduction for all ages into the RTS genre. It’s silly and charming in equal measure, with a cartoonish aesthetic that should cater to everyone. It even has collectibles to offer an extra challenge, which give you comic books for added depth to the story, along with blueprints to help you build new weapons, and more. It’s such a warm and wonderful world to be a part of, even when some of the elements become repetitive.
Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainoids is a great RTS that blends strategy with charm. The learning curve is welcoming to new players, but also offers plenty of challenges for those looking for more. With great visuals and a bunch of charming characters, there’s plenty to love. It might take a bit of time to get familiar with the various mechanics, but if given a chance, this is one of those games that comes out of nowhere and ends up capturing hearts with its clever ideas.
