I Tried Machine Mind—Here's Why I Kept Dying (and Why You Might Too)

Imagine this, being dropped into a completely different environment and having nothing but the bare essentials and having to start all over again and again inside a post-apocalyptic world. Trying to make sure that you can survive day and night. Possibly being attacked at any corner and building yourself back up again to become strong enough to transverse this new desert land. Customization and building, enemies and loot all over that you will not want to miss as you're playing throughout the game. Machine Mind provides such an experience, giving any player the chance to try and survive the nuclear wasteland.

My first time playing the game has been quite the adjustment, a brand new hud to learn, controls could be a little smoother and better explained throughout the provided tutorial. There is controller support provided but a mouse and keyboard seem to be the best option for a better experience and easier gameplay when trying out (having tried out playing both ways during different saves). It will take some adjustments to learn all the buttons for all the different options and gameplay mechanics but after a few play sessions, I was able to become much more familiar with the game’s controls. Leaving for me to be able to explore the wasteland that had been up ahead. Without having the typical story start to the game, I had to take the time to find out what happened in this land that I had crashed into. What caused it to become like this? Where is everyone? Last but not least, how can you find your way out? Many questions came to my mind when I started this game out and it made me even more eager to see if I can uncover this story myself.

Starting off when beginning the game, I was left with nothing but a small vehicle to be able to travel around. The apocalyptic land can seem deserted at first but I have been able to find new materials and notes while moving through the sand that can give more lore into what may have caused this to become a nuclear state! But unexpectedly I found myself coming across some enemies that are inside this land, hostile and willing to kill at any moment. With a few deaths and exploring as much of the enemy lines as I could, I began to follow the task listed before me. Something provided when first starting the game as I had been greeted with it but not something you necessarily have to follow immediately. The game is slightly open-world-like with that aspect yet not overwhelming with the small map. Each area that I have been able to travel inside of was not too overwhelming, at least when it came to moving throughout that land. Giving the player the chance to take the option of prioritizing tasks or exploring as they please.

Taking the option to do both overtime I had been able to even start to make some upgrades to my car. Something quite essential to the game's mechanic to survival inside of this world. The craft system is explained well enough and with an easy guide I have been able to easily make additions to the cart I have been provided. Something that you will want to do as the lands are not friendly around you! Through my time playing, there had been plenty of deaths and close calls that happened because my upgrades had been underwhelming. The more that I wanted to survive, the stronger that I had to make myself with crafting, traveling, and collecting. With more upgrades that I made, the smoother it became for playing overall.

As I have been playing throughout the game, I have been able to take notice of the music, being quite simple with the tracks that play. Something for daytime travel, nighttime, and even combat music whenever in such a situation while playing. Depending on how long of a play session you may have, it becomes repressive. But the artwork is quite clean showing off the nuclear-affected world. Having its own style in a way along with everything being seen from an almost bird’s eye view. With some colorful range to the land, the art shows itself much more when in different terrain which can be a pleasant site when exploring around. Overall the music and art are both very fitting for what would be imagined for a post-apocalyptic world in any setting.

After hours of playtime and different playthroughs of the game, I had the chance to really get a good feel of the game and see the gem that it can become. The artwork is clean and polished while the story is also interesting enough to keep most players wanting to explore. But I do also want to note that the game is more strategic with Machine Mind being overall a tower defense. A genre that cannot be everyone's cup of tea when wanting to relax for a game. The constant dying and possibly having to start over once again can become even more frustrating with the rather wonky controls the demo currently has. Something that can be fixed once a full release comes with all the updates. I believe that with time, the game can be quite enjoyable and if Tower Defenses are games that you enjoy, I am sure you can find joy in it. I recommend giving it at least one playthrough, it won’t hurt, and you can discover just how strategic of a player you are!

Machine Mind Rating: 6/10

( Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.game.press )