Go Mecha Ball, a twin-stick shooter with rogue-like progression, has just been released. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn’t do well, and if it’s worth your time and money.
Go Mecha Ball Review Overview
Go Mecha Ball Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Fun Combat Good Rogue-like Progression On Xbox Game Pass |
Repetitive Gameplay Loop Hard To See Where You’ll Land When Airborne |
Go Mecha Ball Overall Score - 74/100
Go Mecha Ball is an excellent rogue-like twin-stick shooter with a fun arcadey theme, satisfying combat, and a vibrant art style. It's loads of fun, but is somewhat repetitive. Progression in this game is awesome, and you'll get stronger with each level you clear and each run you finish. The concept of switching back and forth between ball and mech modes is unique and well-executed. Moreover, it's on Xbox Game Pass starting day one of its release.
Go Mecha Ball Story - 6/10
Go Mecha Ball is light on story, which is very common for rogue-likes. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, the little story we have basically boils down to the common "explore the strange portal that’s been terrorizing the place" trope. It’s nothing too bad, but feels like a generic story to me.
Go Mecha Ball Gameplay - 8/10
Go Mecha Ball is a very fun rogue-like twin-stick shooter. The weapons vary from each other, the upgrades introduce fun new mechanics, and combat is difficult but nothing overwhelmingly hard. It’s very satisfying to pull off physics-based attacks and complex combos. The rogue-like progression also works well for Go Mecha Ball, with each game feeling different thanks to the different upgrades you get for each level you clear.
Go Mecha Ball Visuals - 8/10
Go Mecha Ball looks great. The old-school arcade art style goes perfectly well with the vibrant color palettes the game uses. The indicators also work well in highlighting things you need to see, like enemies that are about to attack. The gameplay is chaotic, but the game does a good job in making sure you don’t lose track of where you are and what’s happening.
Go Mecha Ball Audio - 7/10
There’s no voice-acting at all, but that’s totally fine for a game like this. Sound effects sound how they’re supposed to, with light beams going off like futuristic pew-pews and shotguns blasting full and loud. The game’s futuristic robot theme is further highlighted by the arcadey electronic soundtrack.
Go Mecha Ball Value for Money - 8/10
Go Mecha Ball is only $19.99. Additionally, it’s free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The game is loads of fun, but gets kind of repetitive after a couple of days. For the relatively short amount of time you’ll have a blast with this game, the price of $19.99 isn’t all that bad. For Game Pass subscribers though, the value for money is excellent.
Go Mecha Ball Review | Brawl as a Ball
Go Mecha Ball features a very fun gameplay loop wherein you play as a cat who controls a powerful mech capable of withstanding the energies of the strange portal that brought chaos upon your planet. With this mech, you’re able to fight off strange hostile robots using your weapons and abilities. Most importantly, you could also turn into a ball capable of moving at high speeds and slamming into foes like a wrecking ball.
Combat in this game is very fun, and makes it so that you’re constantly switching between both your forms. It typically involves slamming into them in your ball form, following up with some bullets or abilities with your mech form, and then quickly rolling away to avoid enemy attacks. The game isn’t easy, so prepare to be bombarded with projectiles. You’ll undoubtedly run into a few, but you’re tanky enough to withstand a lot of them before you go down. By far my favorite way to kill opponents is to use physics to my advantage. Other than speed boosting and slamming into them, you could also push them to their deaths if they’re close to the edge, or simply land on them from a couple of meters up to deal lots of damage.
Each level you clear will grant you either a new weapon, upgrade, or ability. Use these to create a build with synergies. Since I like to roll into my enemies, I choose the upgrades that increase my collision damage and boost power. Alternatively, if you like using your weapons more than the physics-based attacks, then you should aim for the weapons-oriented power-ups instead. More of these power-ups can be bought in between your runs.
Boss fights in this game are intense, but also delightful. They telegraph their attacks well, and often give you just enough time to react and get out of the way. However, make sure you stock up on ammo and have enough health to deal with them. Running out of bullets in a tough boss fight is one of the worst possible outcomes for you in this game.
Overall, Go Mecha Ball has it all, with its vibrant graphics, fun gameplay, and high-speed action. You get what you pay for, and it can keep you busy for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, while it’s definitely a good game, I find it a bit too repetitive to continue playing this past completion and I’d probably go back to playing the other games I enjoy a lot more.
Pros of Go Mecha Ball
| Things Go Mecha Ball Got Right |
|---|
|
Fun Combat Good Rogue-like Progression On Xbox Game Pass |
Fun Combat
The combat in this game is so fun. So there’s the shooting part, which is straightforward and involves firing your weapons. There’s also abilities, which can involve a lot of different things, like launching yourself high in the air to slam into the ground and stun nearby opponents, or throwing a grenade that blows up the enemies in an area. Finally, there’s the part where you roll around as a ball, which is what separates this game from other twin-stick shooters.
The physics in this game works so well, with you being able to land on opponents and deal heavy damage, or push them off cliffs for instant kills. Moreover, stages often have elevated areas which you can access only in ball form through ramps that speed you up as you go, or trampoline blocks that propel you high in the air. This adds depth, both literally and figuratively, to the combat since you can’t roll or walk up the ridges and you have to use the map’s features to get around. Additionally, you could get creative with it and use the map to your advantage.
There’s also a variety in the enemies you face. For example, there’s a robot that’s also a ball and swiftly charges at you. There’s another robot that can snipe you even if you can’t see where they are, with only an indicator showing that there’s someone aiming at you from outside what you can see. Lastly, there’s a robot that will grab and launch you into the air, dealing damage and possibly throwing you off the map.
Good Rogue-like Progression
After each level, you’ll be tasked with choosing one of three power-ups in the form of either a weapon, an upgrade, or an ability. This is where the rogue-like elements come into play. Because of these, each run will grant you a different combination of power-ups, with some having great synergy with others. Each level you clear will make you stronger, and each run will grant you more options for power-ups, should you buy any with the resources you’ve collected in your last few battles.
On Xbox Game Pass
Go Mecha Ball will be free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, which makes this game very easily accessible. If you’re a game pass subscriber, make sure you check this game out.
Cons of Go Mecha Ball
| Things That Go Mecha Ball Can Improve |
|---|
|
Repetitive Gameplay Loop Hard To See Where You’ll Land When Airborne |
Repetitive Gameplay Loop
Go Mecha Ball’s gameplay loop is undoubtedly fun. However, I don’t see myself playing this as much as I would with other games I adore. It’s repetitive, even with the various power-ups you’ll start unlocking. It’s a very common issue with rogue-likes, and I’m not even surprised that this game shares this issue. It's repetitive, but it's good enough that you'll likely play for hours before you eventually get tired of it.
Hard To See Where You’ll Land When Airborne
When you’re launched high in the air, it’s really hard to see where you’re going to land. Your only point of reference is the tiny shadow that serves as an indicator. However, that shadow is really tiny, and is only noticeable in bright environments. In the worlds with darker color palettes or when there's too much going on, the shadow is pretty much invisible and you’ll only be pretty much guessing where you’ll land. Given how landing on opponents deals good damage and works well in combos, there should be a much more noticeable indicator of where you’re bound to land, much like in Rocket League when the ball is airborne.
Is Go Mecha Ball Worth It?
Go Get Go Mecha Ball
Yes! The game is on Xbox Game Pass, and is a no-brainer for game pass subscribers. However, if you’re not an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, it’s still something I’d recommend people to check out, especially if the game’s description is of interest to you. I played the game and it’s exactly how I thought it would play out, based on how the game described itself to be.
Go Mecha Ball Overview & Premise
A strange portal to different worlds arrives on your planet, bringing about chaos and destruction to your area. You and your animal friends take refuge underground, until one of you makes a mecha suit capable of withstanding the energies of the portal, and defending its user from dangerous threats. It’s up to you, Cat Rascal, to restore fun to the world, no matter what.
Go Mecha Ball FAQ
Is Go Mecha Ball on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, Go Mecha Ball is on Xbox Game Pass.
How do you unlock new weapons in Go Mecha Ball?
After every expedition, you’ll have the opportunity to exchange the blue currency you’ve earned into new weapons, upgrades, or abilities.
Go Mecha Ball Product Information
 |
|
| Title | GO MECHA BALL |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 25, 2024 |
| Developer | Whale Peak Games |
| Publisher | Super Rare Originals |
| Supported Platforms | PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One |
| Genre | Stick-shooter, Shoot ‘em up, Rogue-like |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | 10+ |
| Official Website | N/A |
