This is a hard game to describe, but the tag line on the box -- "Think more. Twitch less." -- just about sums it up. For a more visual idea, though, think of Battlebots minus the remote control. Instead of players controlling their creations in real time, players' robots are programmed and then set loose. Through multiple levels in varying genres (battles, sports, racing, etc.), players will be forced to use every last ounce of ingenuity and creativity to win. And if that weren't enough, every level has multiple ways of winning. In fact, each level can be beat in so many unique and interesting ways that part of the fun is just trying different ideas to see if they'll work.
"Okay, so what's this all about?" For each genre and level, the player is given the task of building and programming a robot to go do the sometimes-dirty work. This is not programming in the traditional sense, though. Instead, there's an ingenious icon-based (but not quite object-oriented) interface that makes "programming" the machines intuitive and fun. "Tweak freaks" will be in heaven, as practically everything is customizable. Sensors, navigation systems, weapons and even debugging tools can be added, altered, connected, timed and triggered for hours. This level of customization and replayability is rarely seen in any genre on any platform.
Once the robot is programmed, it's time to see how it performs. Did it just go in circles? Maybe it shot walls too often and the splash damage did more harm than the enemy fire. Perhaps the electrified fence came up too quickly. Maybe the sensors weren't tweaked right. The great thing here is that, once the robot does what it's told, going back and making changes is so easy that many will probably make changes to successful robots just to see what happens. It really is fun to go back and beat levels in different, sometimes unexpected ways.
The robot selections consist of hovercrafts and wheeled or tread-based vehicles, and each controls differently. The hovercrafts need thrusters to move, while the others need engines. Wheel-based robots need steering, wheels while treads require tread controllers. Each different sensor has various ranges, different angles of vision and unique ways to handle the data they collect. Even weapons have different firing speeds and ranges. Again, this is a good thing. Everything is so programmable through the easy interface that playing with all the controls becomes the majority of the game.
In addition to the different vehicles to create, each level has different limits through the use of weights and points. For example, easier levels give the player more than enough options and limits, but higher levels force the player to make critical decisions (all easily changeable should they not work). A rocket launcher may have great offensive power, but its weight is a hindrance. The large engine sure does go fast, but it takes a ton of the limited space. Maybe a pair of lasers would be better with a smaller engine. Perhaps switching to a heavier robot that's slower but has more space for components is the answer. Most probably, both can be.
Once everything's ready to go, the player has pretty much no control -- it's all up to how the machine's been programmed. It becomes a three-dimensional battleground of the mind. The results of the player's hard work are shown in realtime as the newly created robot spars against the insidious opponents that CognoToy provides. These are fun to watch, especially since they truly represent man versus machine. Most are over within a few minutes, but with creative programming, they can last five to 10 minutes or longer. We found ourselves cheering our robot on as if we hadn't created every single "thought" it had. No other game in recent memory has produced such bizarre enthusiasm.
And that's about it. Create a mechanical monster and pit it against the AI. Wait. There's more.
Players' creations are easily traded through small files that are easily emailed back and forth, and many can also be found on the MindRover Website. Players even have the ability to protect their creations because of how the program stores creative information. Each newly invented robot is automatically saved in three different files, and only one of them needs to be sent to others for them to battle against it. This means that those coming up with devilishly unique robots can safeguard against others that just look and copy their component and wiring designs.
There are a few quirks that we'll mention just because nothing is perfect. While designing the machines, there are no levels of undo. While everything can be changed nearly immeasurably, there's no way to undo mistakes besides manually doing it. The level of detail can be somewhat overwhelming as well (although the many tutorials and excellent manual will greatly help those perplexed by this). Graphically, it's also just average. The emphasis was obviously put on customization and replayability, but don't look to this game for eye candy. It's definitely not ugly and in fact it's pretty at times, but it's not something that anyone would use to showcase their latest video card.
Going on and on about this title would be easy, but we think we've made our point. While not for everyone, MindRover is perhaps the most original, brain-bending game to come along in quite some time. Instead of twitch skills or management savvy, players are left alone with their wits, creativity and practicality. The number of ways to win each level (not to mention the additional components and levels that are free to download) practically guarantees a game that many will absolutely adore. There are some people that will flat-out not like its concept, implementation, etc., and for that reason we have to recommend the demo first. Everyone else wanting a game that tests the creativity of the mind instead of hand-eye coordination will not be disappointed.
