X-COM creator Julian Gollop is back with a new strategy game, which is just as innovative and wild an idea as his past successes. Called Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids, it’s a unique blend between third-person action and real-time strategy games. Whether you’re playing solo or with or against a friend, it winds up being one of the PS5’s most surprising releases of 2025.

The campaign is what players will want to jump into initially, as the mission structure also provides a solid tutorial for everything the game has to offer. Fully playable in co-op as well (it’s drop-in, drop-out), players fight aliens that have invaded Earth while mining crystals and creating our own robots to fight back. The titular Chip ‘n Clawz are also able to get in on the action, via a wide array of vehicles and weapons, so you’re always taking an active part in the battle.

Eventually, the game becomes about blending the two play styles. Strategy is key, but sometimes getting your own hands dirty and entering the combat fray can change a battle as well. Finding the right mixture is important, and that’s one of the skills that takes the most time. Being able to quickly make strategic adjustments via the command view while you’re still fighting is difficult, and there is a learning curve, although the campaign is friendly enough early on to not totally destroy you for making some mistakes.

When it all comes together, there’s nothing quite like Chip ‘n Clawz, although there are shades of Brutal Legend and other hybrid strategy games. The art style is a lot of fun — the aliens have particularly wacky designs — and it’s nice to have something full of character. Co-op also works great, as communication allows you to really put together a strategy and optimize your runs.

The campaign is also quite replayable, as each mission has optional objectives. Unless you’re an incredible completionist, you’re not going to complete all of these in one run, so that makes replaying levels with a friend all the more worthwhile (and there’s a friends pass available). Everything is available solo, though, so don’t be worried if you don’t have a friend lined up to go on the journey with you.

There’s also a very fun PVP mode, which has either two or four players going at it (either via 1v1 or 2v2). This is particularly tricky, so I’d recommend spending a good amount of time in the campaign first. However, some close matches can be really thrilling, so it’s worth checking. It’s a nice way to really cap off the end game, and I’d love to watch some high-level players who are better than me and my friends go at it.

Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids Review: Final Verdict

One of the most unique and fun strategy games to come out in recent years, Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids is worth checking out for adventurous gamers. Whether you’re looking to have fun solo, co-op, or competitively, it has you covered.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital copy for our Gears of War: Reloaded PS5 review. Reviewed on version 1.000.001.

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