Julian Gollop’s name carries weight; X-COM still gives me flashbacks to losing my best sniper to a 3% miss, but Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids doesn’t feel like it’s trying to live in that shadow. It’s something else entirely. Something lighter. I didn’t read up on it beforehand. I saw a robotic cat in the promo art and thought, “Alright, I’m in.” That was the whole decision-making process.
Diva’s handling the promo, and they’ve got a decent track record. When they back something, I usually give it a shot. It’s like seeing a familiar logo on a box, you don’t know what’s inside, but you trust it’s worth opening. So I grabbed a controller, settled in, and started the campaign with zero expectations. My dog was nearby, chewing a carrot like it was a cigar. That’s the kind of mood I was in.
First Impressions: Wait, This Is Actually Fun?
Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids doesn’t waste time. You’re dropped into the action without a lengthy setup, which I appreciated. No cinematic overload, no ten-minute tutorial. Just movement, objectives, and a bit of chaos. The tone is playful, almost slapstick at times, but the mechanics underneath are more thoughtful than I expected.
I kept thinking it would be simple, maybe even shallow. But the missions have bite. The side quests especially caught me off guard. They’re not just filler. I had to rethink my approach more than once, especially when juggling unit placement and environmental hazards. There’s a kind of quiet cleverness to how the game challenges you. It doesn’t shout about it, but it’s there.
One mission had me stuck for longer than I’d like to admit. I kept losing units to a gravity trap I didn’t notice until my third attempt. It wasn’t Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids being unfair; it was me not paying attention. That kind of friction, where the game nudges you to be better without punishing you harshly, is rare. It made me want to keep playing, not just to win, but to figure things out properly.
Strategy Meets Action: A Bit of Both Worlds
This part of Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids took me by surprise. I expected something straightforward, run around, shoot things, maybe upgrade a weapon or two. But it’s more involved than that. You’re not just reacting to enemies; you’re planning ahead. There’s a whole layer of base-building and unit management that sneaks up on you. One moment you’re dodging plasma bolts, the next you’re placing turrets and assigning minions to defend a resource node. It’s a bit chaotic, but once you settle into the rhythm, it starts to feel intuitive.
Switching between direct control and the Command View adds a tactical edge. You’re not just a hero charging in; you’re also the one calling the shots. I had a few moments where I completely forgot I had units to command because I was too focused on the action. Then I’d zoom out, reposition my squad, and suddenly the tide would turn. It’s not a flawless system, sometimes the camera gets twitchy or units wander off, but it’s flexible enough to let you experiment. And when it works, it’s genuinely satisfying.
Boss fights are where the strategy really matters. You can’t just rely on reflexes. One encounter had me scrambling to rebuild my base mid-fight while trying to keep my last few minions alive. I didn’t win cleanly, it was messy, a bit lucky, and I probably made more mistakes than I’d like to admit. But that’s what made it fun. Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids doesn’t punish you for not being perfect; it just nudges you to think a little harder. It’s not a deep tactical sim, but it’s got just enough complexity to keep you engaged without overwhelming you.
Controls: Controller All the Way
Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids clearly favours a controller setup. I gave the keyboard and mouse a go, just to see, but it felt awkward, like trying to text your friend with a spreadsheet (*Cough Kelly Rowlands cough*). The movement didn’t flow, and the camera controls were a bit stiff. It’s playable, technically, but not enjoyable. If you’ve got a controller nearby, use it.
I played with a PowerA controller I had on hand from a previous review batch, and it worked beautifully. The layout felt intuitive, the response time was snappy, and I didn’t run into any weird input issues. Everything from jumping to switching views felt natural. It’s the kind of control scheme that doesn’t get in the way; you just play, and it works. That’s rarer than it should be.
There’s a bit of a rhythm to switching between direct action and the overhead Command View, and it took me a few missions to get the hang of it. Early on, I kept trying to issue commands while still mid-combat, which didn’t go well. But once I settled into the flow, jump in, fight, pull back, reposition, it became second nature. The developers kept things simple, which I appreciate. No convoluted button combos or over-engineered menus. Just clean, functional controls that let you focus on the game itself.
Comic Book Vibes and Brain Jars
Visually, Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids leans hard into its comic book inspiration. It’s loud, colourful, and deliberately over-the-top. The environments pop with exaggerated shapes and neon highlights, and the character designs feel like they’ve been pulled straight from a retro sci-fi magazine. It’s not trying to be subtle or realistic, and that’s part of the charm. You’ll see brains in jars, yes, plural, and they’re not just decoration. Some of them chat, some shout, and one tried to recruit me into a pyramid scheme. It’s absurd, but it fits.
The writing follows suit. Dialogue is fast, sometimes chaotic, and occasionally nonsensical, but in a way that feels intentional. The characters you meet are strange, often bordering on ridiculous, but they’re rarely boring. I ran into a vending machine that gave me a quest to recover its lost snack inventory. I didn’t expect much from it, but it ended up leading to a surprisingly tricky skirmish in a scrapyard. That kind of unexpected payoff happens more than you’d think, and it keeps the world feeling alive, even if it’s completely bonkers.
Exploration is rewarded with a decent spread of collectibles, comic pages, upgrade blueprints, and odd little lore fragments. I wasn’t actively hunting them, but I found a few just by poking around. One comic hinted at internal Brainioid politics, which added a layer of intrigue I didn’t see coming. The blueprints are more practical, unlocking new gear and abilities, and they’re usually tucked away in spots that encourage curiosity. It’s not deep world-building, but it’s enough to make you pause and wonder what else is hiding behind the cartoon chaos.
Multiplayer: The Mode I Skipped (But You Shouldn’t)
I didn’t get around to trying multiplayer. Not because I wasn’t interested, but because my usual co-op mate was deep into Bake Off and wouldn’t budge. Still, Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids clearly puts effort into its multiplayer options. There’s couch co-op, online PvP, and even cross-platform support, which is a nice touch. You can jump into 1v1 or 2v2 matches, or just invite someone to tag along in your campaign.
From what I’ve seen in the menus and matchmaking setup, it looks like the kind of multiplayer that could get wonderfully chaotic. Coordinating attacks, managing units together, and trying not to trip over each other’s strategies; it sounds like the kind of mess that’s actually fun. I imagine it’d be even better with someone who’s just as clueless as you are, learning the ropes together and laughing through the failures.
I’ll probably give it a go next week. It feels like one of those modes that could completely change how you experience the game. If you’ve got a friend, partner, or even a curious sibling nearby, it’s worth roping them in. The game seems built to be shared, and I suspect that’s where a lot of its charm really shines.
Final Thoughts: Not What I Expected, In a Good Way
I went into Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids with low expectations. Not in a cynical way, just neutral. I hadn’t heard much about Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids, and the promo art looked like something aimed at a younger crowd. But after a few hours, I realised I wasn’t just playing to review it. I was playing because I wanted to see what happened next.
It’s not trying to be Ratchet & Clank, or Overlord, or X-COM. It borrows bits and pieces from all sorts of genres, but it doesn’t lean too hard in any one direction. That’s part of why it works. It’s light, but not shallow. Silly, but not careless. There’s enough strategy to keep you thinking, enough action to keep you moving, and enough personality to make you smile. Even if it’s just a talking brain in a jar.
If you’re after something that’s easy to pick up but still has a bit of bite, this is worth a look. Especially if you like cats. Or robots. Or games that don’t take themselves too seriously but still manage to surprise you.
Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids might not be on your radar, but it probably should be.
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