Bish Bash Bots Review

Bish Bash Bots is an interesting mix of a few different genres that we don’t always see put together: a tower defence strategy mixed with brawling action. In the distant future, we see that there are as many robots as people. Humans no longer have to work as the robots perform all of the daily jobs. Things seem incredibly relaxed and stress-free, that was until the robots started to use stolen technology to rebel against the humans.

We see the high school science fair; a lot of the displays shown are the basic type, like an erupting volcano with vinegar and baking soda or a potato battery, but then we see something on display that is much more advanced. This team of four students have created a device that can be used to stop the rebelling robots on the spot, a device that emits an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The scientifically advanced teens have stepped up to save humanity, calling themselves “The Resistors”. 

Towers around the world have been sending out a pirate signal that hijacks all the bots, so the team needs to visit these stations to stop that message from going out. In your way are waves of the once docile machines, you will need to set up turrets in the area to take down the advancing bots so that you can protect your EMP device and use it to reset them all to their original modes.

There are four students that make up your team, each with their own special ability. This ability doesn’t only help that one character but the whole team — which only really matters if you are playing multiplayer. When you start the game, you will select which of the students you want to play as. They all use the same type of weapon, a Power Hammer, to attack the bots along with their ability. Noah — wearing green — is the leader of the group (and a genius, according to him). He created the Aerovan that you use to travel across the world, and when his special is activated, it makes everyone run faster. Annika — with a red dress — is the creator of the turrets that you use against the bots; when she is active, all the other players will upgrade faster. Sol — decked out in yellow — invented the Power Hammers that the team uses against the bots. Sol’s power lets all the players hit harder, doing more damage and also lets you upgrade the turrets faster. Then Zola — purple — is the inventor of the CHIP holographic system; when her special is active, all the player's gadgets will recharge faster. On this screen, other players can jump in and play local multiplayer with you.

When you start, you will want to quickly figure out the best locations to place turrets by pressing Y and choosing an available spot before the bot waves start coming. In the beginning, there are two different types that you can use: a blaster that costs you 10 gears and a cannon that is 15. You only have 30 gears to spend at the start, but as you destroy robots, they will drop gears and scrap metal that you can collect and use towards building additional turrets. As you progress, additional gadgets and stationary guns will be available for you to purchase and use. One of the most useful ones appears early on; the Anti-air turret is great for shooting down bots that are flying, but note that they do not target the robots that are on the ground. 

 There is an incredibly unique way to upgrade your turrets besides just using glowing upgrade cubes, bash them using X on your controller. The more you hit them, the stronger they become. It sounds crazy but it totally works. Each can level up to four stars then they hit their max and you have to move on to the next one. If you are playing on your own you have to figure out the right way to balance placing new turrets, collecting the scrap metal from the destroyed bots, attacking the stray robots that got through your gauntlet of defences, and using tools like cranes to pick up the large vehicles and drop them into holes. This is truly a balancing act. If you are playing with other players you can divide and conquer the waves of bots. If your EMP takes too much damage, your round is done and you will need to start over again.

Bish Bash Bots has you travelling through 32 different levels over eight different biomes. In some levels you have to contend with a volcano overheating your turrets, huge holes in the ground at the construction zone, or mutant plants that are trying to grab the players in the jungle. The game has a vibrant, cartoony look to it that makes all of these levels fun and exciting to explore. Plus, if you successfully complete the challenge in each level, you can unlock some awesome clothing to customise your character. I adore the penguin hat! 

The little bots that you have to destroy look so cute and innocent, that it’s easy to forget how strong they really are! It’s amazing how much damage they can take from the turrets and hammers, though they can’t stop you from pushing them into a deep hole… The music fits right in with the visuals and is fun and upbeat. This is a good thing since Bish Bash Bots can become incredibly challenging at times and some of the levels will have you playing them over and over again.

I’ve been having a great time playing Bish Bash Bots. With so much to do to fight off the waves of robots, you will never feel bored. You are always setting up turrets, collecting scrap metal, bashing your turrets to power them up, and attacking the bots with your trusty hammer. It never felt like my playthrough was dragging at all, I was always busy doing something. The ability to play multiplayer with other people locally, or online was great — or a combination of both if you need. Though you can’t jump into some random game that someone online is in, you will need a room code for the one you want to join. On your own, the game can be incredibly challenging, but playing with other members of your team helped a lot so that you could allocate a specific “job” to each person. Plus the fact that all the members of the team can help each other with their special ability was useful too. 

This is a must-play title if you are a fan of tower defence-type games or if you want something new and unique to play with your friends. I just wish you could recruit one of these other students to help out when you are playing on your own; even if the CPU just wanted to stand there and smash turrets to level them up would be a great help!