*Sources of screenshots are listed in their respective file-names.
Please note that the review below is for the PC version, and may not reflect the content/quality found in other editions. _____________________________________________
I, [name], having been appointed a Commander aboard the UE Anaeis (a vessel charged with rescuing and protecting innocents both foreign and domestic), do solemnly affirm to support and defend the Unified Earth organization against all enemies.
I pledge to faithfully discharge the duties set before me to my utmost ability, and to bring those assigned to my charge safely–
Oops…
Sorry…
Oh dear…
—home?
Rover Rescue* is an intriguing twist on the “line-drawing” genre popularized by games such as Flight Control.
Players attempt to race across the Solar System, rescuing citizens of the United Earth organization while battling a mysterious threat.
This objective is complicated by several obstacles including enemy rovers and millions of meteors:
One of the millions of meteors you’ll destroy can be seen in the top left.
One of the greatest of these obstacles is persistent ship damage. Players only have three ships with which to complete the game–lose all three and you’ll start from the beginning (with all upgrades intact, thankfully).
Regarding upgrades: players have a wide range of tools at their disposal which can be bought with currency called “salvage” earned in-game. More salvage can be earned by completing missions, collecting gems, rescuing rovers, etc.
The “Defender” upgrade is one of the most powerful, automatically shooting meteors while you focus on guiding rovers to their intended destination.
The ever-useful tractor beam…
Due to Rover Rescue’s origins as a mobile game, it looks good and works well even on lower-level systems.
Rover Rescue at the lowest settings possible.
As players advance through the story, they are also given a small visual tour of the Solar System, complete with semi-realistic artwork based off of NASA images.
Conclusion:
Rover Rescue has a number of major upgrades planned including improved graphics, Mac/Linux functionality and new missions/mission types.
This continuing support of the title along with its interesting twist on the line-drawing mechanic make it a notable contribution to the genre.
Potential Concerns:
The “First Streak” achievement features an icon of a female streaker (seen every time the player begins a combo):
You can modify the game to edit this achievement with the instructions provided here. However, this element is disappointing as an exception to the family-friendly content generally found in Rover Rescue and its amusing trailer:
Buy Now! (PC)
Rover Rescue is also available for iOS.
Video Games and the Bible 