Quick Review: Particle Mace

A new take on an old game? Sign me up.

Developed by Andy Wallace, published by Andy Makes and released on January 22nd, 2015 (though the in-game menu mentions a copyright from 2012), Particle Mace tries to reinvent the arcade classic Asteroids. You maneuver your little ship in a closed space filled with floating rocks, round circles for simplicity’s sake. There's also enemy ships coming in multiple forms.

Swing the space trash around!

Oh, the feel of Asteroids is definitely there.

There are two differences: The first is that all you can do is move around, using the mouse or an analog stick, and the space is limited by a perimeter that kills you when you hit it. The second is that you cannot shoot at all; in place of bullets, your ship pulls along a batch of space trash that gets flung around while you’re moving. As a result, you instead need to make use of slingshot physics to actually destroy things in the area. This requires a lot more strategy and skill than the original version. Other mechanics don’t change, like how asteroids struck split into smaller ones when destroyed and enemy saucers follow your ship around.

Fast, huh? But not as good in destroying
enemies and asteroids. Tough choice.

On top of the main ship, several more can be unlocked, with varying stats – one that’s quicker but trickier to attack with, one that’s heavier but has an extra HP… all of the extra ships can be unlocked through in-game achievements (ex. reach 2,000 points in Easy Mode). The game offers multiple modes. On the multiplayer side of things, there’s a Co-Op Arcade mode as well as a Death Match mode. The first Solo mode is Arcade, available in multiple difficulties: An intro to learn the game, an Easy mode, a Hard mode, and an Asteroid Mode where enemies are absent but asteroids are much more numerous.

Well, even with that minimalist art style, we
can easily tell that this is a black hole.

The second single-player mode, and the most interesting to me, is Mission, which isn’t a Story Mode per se. In it, you have to complete 150 missions, always delivered in groups of 3. If you finish all three current missions in one round, the game forces a loss in the game and you get the next three. A mission you beat is replaced by a new one, and the world changes along with them. This is where the creativity is at its most present, with the playing field, enemies and other factors changing basedon the current missions. Adding a black hole that pulls everything in? Having to chase a Snitch around to kill it? Changing the perimeter of the battle area so that it’s more dangerous to maneuver in? Sure!

Those white lines are the limits of the map.
This mission has a map shaped like a clover.
Hitting the limits is an instant kill. Good luck!

I like a game that goes for a simple idea and sticks with it, and merely adds to the base idea to make a complete experience. My time spent playing Particle Mace was fairly short but it effectively showed everything I had to see, barring the multiplayer modes, and I quite enjoyed the pick-up-and-play feel and the simple controls that require more skill and practice in order to achieve good scores. It very much reminds me of an arcade game in that regard, but the Mission Mode is also a much-appreciated addition. If, like me, you’re not the type to seek out high scores, you might not spend a lot of time on it, but if you’re that kind of player, you might enjoy it quite a bit.

Particle Mace is available on Steam for 4.99$ USD.