Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 28
  2. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. The unbelievable brutality of the enemy A.I., even in Normal mode, means the game can vacillate from challenging to downright frustrating. Yet, for all the times I was pissed off, I still felt compelled to move on... [Dec 2003, p.164]
  2. 100
    Imaginative graphics and superb sound, a sprawling adventure packed full of neat touches and cool weapons, great humour and an accomplished multiplayer; Glitch embodies what games are really all about - challenge, entertainment and fun.
  3. 90
    Flat out, this is an amazing shooter. You can fight through over 50 levels, upgrade your weapons, take control of enemies, recruit enemies to help you fight, drive different types of tanks, and a lot more -- think "Ratchet & Clank" fused with "Halo."
  4. An awesome game. It flexes great graphics despite being limited by PS2's hardware and multiplatform snags. The only major weakness to this game is the lack of multiplayer.
  5. Full of stuff to blow up and laced with detail. Metal Arms is a great game.
  6. If you're looking for a third-person shooter and are a patient gamer, then you'll have a good time with Metal Arms. If instead you're just looking for a platform game along the lines of Ratchet & Clank, then you may want to pass on this one as it can prove to be frustrating.
  7. 85
    It's not perfect, but it's got enough unique style to create thirst for a follow-up.
  8. 83
    A surprisingly well-made action-shooter with a lot of heart. The game successfully merges a light-hearted storyline with some seriously intense combat, a good measure of strategy and a fun multiplayer mode. Oh, and the weapons in this title are downright awesome.
  9. Though its balance is a little questionable at times, Metal Arms has quietly come onto the scene to offer one of the most visceral and most satisfying shooting experiences in quite a while.
  10. Considering the great number of things Metal Arms: Glitch in the System gets right, it's a shame that the game is ultimately sullied by its gassy length (it doesn't seem to know when to end) and often sadistic difficulty (did anyone play-test it?).
  11. An unoriginal game that fails to improve on any of the games it emulates. It’s just another game in a long line of “me too” cookie-cutter platformers that fills the stores around Christmas time.
  12. 80
    But what it does have is a visceral feeling of destruction few other games possess.
  13. An addicting little ditty of a shooter...Where Metal Arms falters a bit is in the difficulty and control setup. [Dec 2003, p.50]
  14. This is ballsy, brash, confident gaming at its best - a lesson in how games don't have to be perfect to be brilliant. [Christmas 2003, p.102]
  15. Highly entertaining and, above all, fun. Despite being filled with all manner of videogame cliches, Metal Arms somehow feels refreshingly new and not at all like the cobbled together title that it so undoubtedly is. [Christmas 2003, p.103]
  16. A great game that any fan of shooters or third person games would enjoy.
  17. Looks amazing, but the game play is rather ordinary,
  18. It's is familiar in gameplay, yet unique because you're a droid.
  19. In many ways, Metal Arms feels built on a generic foundation, but the developers have done much to dress it up with great gameplay and genuine laugh-out-loud moments, making it one of the better choices in the action game category.
  20. Coming out of nowhere and with little fanfare, this is certainly one of the genre's better titles. The only problem is that it's hard to identify with a cute robot who makes other cute(ish) robots break apart.
  21. Does what a lot of titles fall well short of - delivering an engagning mix of styles to form a cohesive whole that spurs you on every step of the way. [Nov. 2003, p.152]
  22. Easily a contender for sleeper hit of the year, providing an excellent mix of platform-style exploration and fast-paced, action-packed gunplay that manages to stay fresh and interesting throughout. [Dec 2003, p.199]
  23. A delicious shooter that teaches everyone that killing can be tons of fun as long as it's presented in a light hearted manner.
  24. Puts a serious strain on the PS2 – a strain that drastically and negatively affects gameplay.
  25. The difficulty level is impressively even, remaining challenging enough to hold the attention, but rarely crossing too far into frustration.
  26. The detail spent on each and every droid is amazing, as are the physics applied, and the locales, from the underground tunnels to the ravaged cityscapes topside, are splendid. [Nov 2003, p.89]
  27. Online play could have done wonders for some of the repetition. But if you stick it out, you may be too drunk off the inebriating style and intense action to notice your 20th play-through. Metal Arms: Glitch in the System does what it does very well.
  28. It's a mix of Battlebots and Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots, with guns. The only thing dragging it down is the monotony in the later levels where the fighting starts to feel a bit old and the personality starts to wear off.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. KenR.
    May 7, 2006
    This game is very Fun if you like action & adventure games.
  2. AlanS.
    Jun 2, 2005
    Not the Greatest game ever made, though great. Worth the $10 with out a doubt!
  3. EddieA.
    Jan 7, 2004
    This is game is freakin sweet. THe frame rate it is a little slow but overall the game is one of my favorites.