Full Review

When small indie game studios boast about their prior professional experience it's generally a PR move to inspire confidence in what they're presenting. What really counts is the final product and in the case of Uppercut Games and their release of EPOCH., the experience and polish that comes from their years in the industry really shows in almost every aspect of the game.

You play as an AI controlled robot (think slightly less horrifying than a Terminator, but no less deadly) with a mission of rescuing the Princess while fighting off other robots that...

Wait what? Robot vs. robot warfare and you're saving a human princess? Strangely enough the premise works as you uncover snippets of news and other pieces of information while decimating enemies in what can only be called a hybrid of chest-high wall covers with agile Infinity Blade style controls all set in a gallery shooter much like Virtua Cop.

I may have lost you somewhere along the line there, but have no fear - it really does work.

Players control their robot through intuitive gestures such as swiping to the sides to roll to new cover in that direction; swiping up or down once or twice to take/leave cover or to reload or perform aerial flips to dodge incoming fire; tapping enemies targets them with auto-fire once you step out of cover or aims various weapons such as grenades or special abilities at them.

It's an action-packed setup that requires players to assess their enemies, determine major threats and dodge incoming attacks based on the enemy type and the weapons they use. Players can pick up armor and weapons of varying types, adding special effects such as stunning enemies, creating a sort of rock, paper, scissors situation where items bought or found in combat can be equipped to counter incoming fire and the enemies defenses.

Unfortunately EPOCH. quite literally falls short with a campaign that takes very little time to complete and only provides replay incentives through the lure of harder challenges in the additional difficulty levels. More of the story is unlocked as well, but the variety of weapons dries up early on making it feel repetitive instead of compelling you to reach for that new shiny item.

Those who loved Infinity Blade and are after something more futuristic should have no trouble enjoying EPOCH. and even with the current version's longevity in question it's worth playing your way to the end of each difficulty at least once.

App Store Info