" Great weapons, cool options, and some very well laid out levels will have you pounding enemy after enemy into the ground with a nice pace to more violence as your reward. "

      Title: Metal Arms: Glitch in the System by Sierra

      Format: Xbox Shooter

      Reviewing Monkey: Mojo Jojo

      The Hype: Most people had never heard of Metal Arms (MA) before some rather entertaining commercials hit for it last month. Now the world is a-buzz…or at least interested…in what this shooter may have to offer. But is it a smooth operating machine or just another pile of rust in the junkyard? Read on and find out.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Graphics: Man, I love a pretty game. I know, I know, how that's among the lamest things I've ever said, but it's still true. And pretty, as often as not, is defined by the vibrancy of the colors, the depth of the levels, and the details of the models. That being said, I liked MA because it's a very pretty game. Lush and bright, this is a fun one to watch as well as play. Even better, no small amount of thought was put into design and ambiance, so not only does the architecture of the world lend itself to some mandatory "oohs" and "ahhs", but there are some fun little bits that happen when bad guys blow up…such as having their little mechanical legs (everyone's a robot, including you) run around without their blown off torsos. 4 out of 5

      Playability: Metal Arms, at its heart, is among the most basic of run and gun chaos shooters. Absolutely non-stop action and thousands, if not millions, of rounds of ammunition will wear down your thumbs and burn out your retinas. Not that this is a bad thing at all, just that I want to get that out of the way early. Fortunately, on the short list of really entertaining full on shooters, MA is near the top.
          Great weapons, cool options, and some very well laid out levels will have you pounding enemy after enemy into the ground with a nice pace to more violence as your reward. Vehicles, interspersed perhaps a little to sparsely but well implemented when overtaken, as well as some occasional variations in mission design break up the monotony and keep you entertained. And while the difficulty is high and frustration may mount on occasion, the overall ambiance, fun often-comical weapons, entertaining AI (which will run if out-gunned), and lighthearted attitude of play will keep you going. 4 out of 5

      Story and Drama: Very reminiscent of some of the other great comedy-action titles we've had recently (Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper) the story in MA is a bizarre little yarn about a rogue general who's making life difficult for the robotic society he was formerly a part of and so Gltich, the little monkey-bot you take on, has to make things right. It's fun, entertaining, and though not as extensive as I might have liked, is good for a larf. 3.5 out of 5

      Multiplayer and Replayability: The one blight on the entertainment value of this slice of chaotic heaven is the multiplayer. Though it supports a fairly solid 4 player split screen, no bots, no link play, and no Live support means that multi-player will, at best, be relegated to a passing activity. Some solid support would have given MA a real shot at longevity but instead relegates it to a mostly single player faire. 3 out of 5

      The Verdict:

Good times are had by playing this game. It's fast, it's silly, and it's well made. Those itching for an entertaining chaotic shooter need look no further. Now if only the multiplayer would have held up its end of the bargain…

      The Good: Great graphics, lots of wit, fun play, and some cool goodies.

      The Bad: Depressingly limited multiplayer options.

      The Overall Ugly: You owe yourself a go-round on this one.

      What it's Worth: Market…but hope the sequel has good multiplayer!