Attention! Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a fast-paced arcade twin-stick shooter in which you command an elite squad of Tiny Troopers on missions to eliminate legions of despicable foes from all corners of the globe!
Developed by Epiphany Games and published by Wired Productions, a new game in the Tiny Troopers series has been released. I must confess that I am completely unfamiliar with this series, but I can confirm that Global Ops can be played without any knowledge of its backstory.
First, we will examine the presentation of Tiny Troopers: Global Ops, which contains both positive and bad news.
The graphics are excellent, and the camera is positioned above and to the side, as in a Diablo game, but it cannot be rotated. The visuals for both our protagonists and their foes are quite impressive, with an almost super-deformed art style, while the weapons that everyone wields appear to be larger than their bodies. Even if it isn’t always obvious where we’re supposed to go, the mission-based levels we participate in are also well-designed.
As well as the visuals, the sound elements receive a positive rating. Everything you would anticipate from a Tiny Troopers game is present, including wailing cries as enemies are slain, gunfire, and explosions. What is significantly less successful is the narration over the cutscenes, which features some of the lamest gags I’ve heard since my last best man’s speech. The gags are painful, the voice overs are oddly stilted, and the performances are unremarkable, particularly the character of Geordie, who is never positive which northern city she is from…
Story? We have been assigned a series of locations to visit and missions to complete as a new recruit in the Tiny Troopers. The first level takes place in the Middle East, the second in a rainforest, possibly in Africa, etc. Each mission begins with more cringe-worthy puns and bad acting, after which we are free to solve any problem by shooting a number of things. Sounds reasonably simple, wouldn’t you say? Well, that’s because everything is extremely straightforward.
You inquire, “How does the game actually work?” Honestly, it’s quite satisfactory. Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is, at its essence, a straightforward twin-stick shooter. You already know the drill: the left stick moves your character, the right stick determines where they will target, and RT fires their weapons. As long as your control stick is pointed in the same direction as the enemy you wish to target, the aiming reticle will automatically lock onto the enemy and allow you to cover them with holes. Some foes are more resistant to bullets, some have shields, and some hurl grenades, but everything else is straightforward. And fortunately, the combat is quite effective, with a pleasant dodge move allowing you to avoid explosions and other annoyances. As your level increases, more and more options will become accessible.
Yes, as a newborn Tiny Trooper, you are dispatched on missions with a pistol and a bad attitude, and that’s about it. Your score will increase as you defeat enemies, complete objectives, and collect medals and dog tags that are strewn about the environment, and we all know what points are. Yep, even more EXP! This EXP can be used to increase your soldier’s rank, granting them access to better basic weaponry, for instance, or enabling med kits, air strikes, and a variety of other interesting abilities. The EXP can also be spent on your AI partner (if you are playing solo) to enhance not only their chances of survival but also their damage output. The talent tree, for lack of a better term, is divided into four sections: your character’s level, the skills they can use, and their primary and secondary weapons, all of which can be upgraded and swapped as desired.
Tiny Troopers: Global Ops’s single-player mode is enjoyable, but its multiplayer mode is where the true action is. Yes, if you have up to three compatible pals and an abundance of controllers, you can play couch co-op and annihilate the enemies by yourself, or you can go online into the terrifying cross-platform internet and play with strangers. Having enlisted my son’s assistance, one of these options works fairly well, but the online world is unfortunately dead; finding a match is nearly impossible due to the lack of connections.
Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is an entertaining little shooter, but it won’t set the world ablaze. Playing with a local group of friends can be a lot of fun, but you should know that online gaming is as extinct as the proverbial Dodo.
If you enjoy twin-stick shooters, Tiny Troopers has a lot to offer: Global Ops, but if you have a low tolerance for bad metaphors, you have been forewarned!
Tiny Troopers: Global Ops: Attention! Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a fast-paced arcade twin-stick shooter in which you command an elite squad of Tiny Troopers on missions to eliminate legions of despicable foes from all corners of the globe! – kendajaya