House Fighters: Total Mess is a whimsical nod to your childhood. Think of Toy Story and the mysterious lives of each inanimate object, and you get the idea behind this game. Dogfights, bombing missions, an array of planes, and a hero complex that must be adhered to can be enjoyed as you tackle this arcade experience.
This arcade dogfighting game was developed and published by Revulo Games. It is a single-player title that has plenty of classical mechanics. Inverted controls, a simple UI, and 13 straightforward narrative-driven missions stand between you and glory. The toy-sized vehicles and boxy structures have a delightfully fun edge. Furthermore, the gameplay is easy to understand as you nail your foes and bomb each target.
House Fighters: Total Mess demands a level of old-school grit.
You play the role of Lieutenant Green, a confident and highly talented pilot. You are relatively inexperienced, but this doesn’t stop you from wanting to assist every toy that needs your help. With courage on your side, you will complete every goal and earn your reputation as the best pilot to exist.
The gameplay is relatively simple, but the story comprises a handful of interesting tasks. Assisting your friends, rescuing toys from threats in the toy room, and collecting objects. Behind all of the mystery and trouble is an evil villain called Baron Von Spielzeug. This madman must be stopped at all costs.
Fun aerial combat.
I haven’t played an arcade flying game for ages. In fact, the last flying game I tested was from the Ace Combat franchise. As such, I was relatively rusty. Thankfully, the fun aerial combat, simple goals, and easy-to-follow mechanics make it the perfect experience. Moreover, it is ideal if you want a casual title away from triple-A games.
The narrative-driven missions can pull you away from exploring the vast playroom. However, it was fun to go off course and search for collectables. Although this isn’t essential, it adds some much-needed depth and time to an otherwise relatively shallow and short arcade game.
House Fighters: Total Mess looks nice, but it isn’t perfect.
I applaud the colourful world and the interesting perspective. Moreover, the 60 FPS smooth performance was welcome. Yet, House Fighters: Total Mess isn’t without its issues. There were occasional glitches, and the camera wasn’t always able to keep up with the fighting. This caused some issues, but not enough for me to switch it off. Sadly, it just undermines the polish and leaves a little bit of a bitter taste.
The audio is as hectic as you’d expect. House Fighters: Total Mess is a cacophony of bullets, bombs, and OTT engine sounds. I started playing it with headphones, but I found the soundscape to be overwhelming. As such, it was more pleasant to use my speakers to get a more levelled but immersive effect.
Flying as flying should be.
The use of inverted controls may not be welcomed by some. However, purists will agree that you have to use inverted controls. This system was easy to pick up. Moreover, the use of guns, bombs, and other key elements was simple to master. As such, this can be enjoyed by gamers of all skills and ages.
Replay value isn’t at the fore. There are a handful of planes with unique strengths and weaknesses to add some tactical nuance. However, once you smash through the levels, there are few reasons to return. If you enjoy finding collectables, you can eke out a few more hours. Yet, this isn’t likely to keep you playing for very long.
House Fighters: Total Mess is short but sweet.
House Fighters: Total Mess is a fun and colourful combat experience. I love the visuals, the enjoyable setting, and the silly missions. Additionally, the dogfighting is smooth, and the use of toys to enhance the story was genius. Despite the minor shortcomings, this is a short but sweet game, and I recommend buying it here! Can you become an aerial legend? Pick your plane, master the controls, and take down everything in your path.
