A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda

ZTGameDomain (9 out of 10)

For an indie title, ARES is really impressive. For a full on downloadable title, this is impressive. ARES does so many things right, it’s hard not to want more. Even with its short story mode, there is always more to do in the game. The presentation and music is top notch that makes the game just that more enjoyable. It’s available on Steam for $9.99, and its well worth the money. I suggest everyone check it out.

Mash Those Buttons (4.2 out of 5)

That being mentioned, I still recommend picking up A.R.E.S.. While it was a bit short and a bit easy I still had fun playing. It definitely has replay value for those completionists out there. Odds are you won’t be able to upgrade all of your weapons to max on your first play through and there are several data cubes you can’t collect until after you get certain abilities. After you beat the game you retain all of your upgrades, items, and power ups you had before so you can rip through the earlier stages and possibly find new paths and secrets. I played with an XBox 360 controller which was great, but in my opinion the control with the mouse and keyboard was even better so it’s not a necessity to have a controller.

Indie Game Reviewer ( )

The illegitimate love child of Samus and Megaman, A.R.E.S. is a 2D platformer that stands out in the increasingly crowded market. While it’s gameplay doesn’t display any out of the box thinking, it is done with enough skill to keep even the most hardened gamer happy. Well worth the price of admission.

Level Up News ( )

A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda is a fun Mega Man-clone. The art is well-polished and keeps the old side-scroll feel as you blast through your enemies. The game can feel very short and once you’ve maxed out your upgrades even the game on hard can seem like a breeze. But in the end, between the action combat and the boss fights, A.R.E.S. is a fun, mindless side-scroller. Not bad for the company’s first title.

DualShockers (8 out of 10)

Ultimately, A.R.E.S. is a solid game that doesn’t really do anything too offensive, and its crazy good looks and familiar gameplay will appeal to most gamers of all ages. Additionally, the knowledge that this is only the first chapter in a series is encouraging, as they’ll have time to fix the various minor problems present in this one. With a price that may seem a bit too steep, your mileage may vary, but personally, I’d recommend this to everyone whose a fan of pretty looking shooters with flashing lights, and anyone who wants to support a developer that quite obviously put all their passion and love into their precious baby.

IGN (7.5 out of 10)

I liked A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda, and if you’re into old-school action-platformers or Mega Man X-like titles, you probably will too. The game can be difficult, and although it’s short, the overall A.R.E.S. experience promises to be episodically delivered. Therefore, this title is really only scratching the surface. At five stages, A.R.E.S. is an experience that tries to stress speed-running and earning better overall scores at the end of stages. There are collectibles to find, and a few different weapons to experiment with. At $10, A.R.E.S. is a good game to download and play one night when you’re bored. Just don’t expect more than you’re paying for, and you won’t be let down.

Brash Games (7 out of 10)

The game plays pretty well, a nice mix of retro styles and modern looking visuals. It’s very short, only taking a couple of hours, but according to the developers this is Episode 1. The classic retro platform feeling was nice to play again and although the game won’t win any awards it provides some light relief after a stressful day at the office, and for £6.99 from Steam you can’t really go wrong. I liked A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda and despite the spelling errors on the dialogue and movement issues it is a fairly good game and one the kids can play quite happily.

That Gamer Hub ( )

A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda is short game – it does not last very long at all. You can play it in some short spurts and beat the game in an hour or two. The game’s website mentions that the game is episodic, so I think this is why the game is so short. The game takes some of the features of Mega Man and Metroid and merges them in to an entertaining little package. It is a good start for Extend Studio, but future titles in the franchise could use a little more depth. The game is not expensive, and the series has potential to become pretty good, so it is worth a quick play if you are craving some platforming action. The game gets three point five out of five for an average score. It’s fun while it lasts, but there really is not anything to come back to once you are done.

PC Action (Germany) (69 out of 100)

Ich steh auf 2D-Spiele wie Mega Man oder Turrican und auch A.R.E.S. ist gar nicht so übel. Doch der magere Umfang, der schwankende Anspruch und das mäßige Leveldesign drücken die Wertung kräftig nach unten.

Absolute Games (AG.ru) (65 out of 100)

Неожиданно качественный «платформер», но простой и очень короткий. Так что если у вас есть дела поважнее, чем ностальгировать перед монитором, лучше подождать остальных эпизодов и появления игры в Xbox Live Marketplace.

Realm of Gaming (6.5 out of 10)

Extinction Agenda is the first episode in a series of A.R.E.S. games. Because the game is not designed as a full-release it is some-what excusable that there's a lack in content over time. Regardless, a few more additions at each level would have prevented such a deep gash on such a beautiful game. The game is fun, however, three hours later when the game ends the player has no idea what just happened and is kind of let down. The game only cost ten bucks, which is fairly reasonable considering the deep and detailed artwork; just don't expect deep and detailed gameplay to be paired with it.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (6 out of 10)

It starts off impressively with beautifully rendered backdrops, stirring soundtrack, suitably chunky weapons and screen-filling bosses. But the game quickly undoes all of its good work with a hopelessly pernickety jump system that turns routine platforming negotiation into a tiresome war of attrition. What a shame. If the team can perhaps fix a few niggling issues via an update A.R.E.S. will be well worth a look, but until then this is a case of try before you buy.

RetroManiac (3 out of 5)

En definitiva ARES es un buen arcade de acción. El componente plataformero puede desquiciar a más de uno por un sistema de control algo deficiente, pero los momentos de disparos y los enfrentamientos con los jefes final de fase son certeros y variados. Quizás se nos haya quedado un poquito corto, pero teniendo en cuenta el juego de [nombre de estudio] está planteado por episodios, tampoco es algo que nos quite el sueño. Muy bien por estos tailandeses, y ojalá que vayan mejorando poco a poco su producción.