Price: $0.99 Score: 8/10 Category: Games
Monster Wars iPhone Game Review
If you liked the Liv Games title Legendary Wars, then getting Monster Wars for your iPhone or iPad is a no-brainer.
Think of Monster Wars as a more of a remix than a follow-up to Legendary Wars. The gameplay is virtually the same, but the story is different…and incredibly long. For less than a dollar, you’re getting a lot of content for your gaming buck: some 60 levels in all.
That being said, there’s so much going on that someone who hasn’t played Legendary Wars before might feel overwhelmed by the vast customization options, multiple play modes, and even some of the opening dialogue. But if you stick with it, you’ll find a very rewarding RTS game that strikes a balance between “defend the castle” and side-scrolling swordplay.
The goal is simple: collect gems and soulstones to upgrade your armies of monsters and smash all the heroes that stand in your way. The graphics are colorful, well rendered, and don’t seem to get bogged down during even the most chaotic of skirmishes. There’s some degree of interactivity with the environments, as you’ll be tasked with smashing down houses (or chopping down trees just for fun.) Bottom line: the characters and the backgrounds are both designed well.
Bored with the main campaign? The endless modes let you hack and slash to your heart’s content, and the gems you pick up transfer into campaign mode to help upgrade your minions. That’s great, because with 15 different monsters that can be mutated 30 different ways, you’ll need all the gems you can scavenge. Game Center junkies will be happy to learn that there are over 50 Game Center achievements to unlock.
There are plenty of iPhone games out there with annoying looped soundtracks, but Monster Wars ain’t one of ‘em. The tracks work seamlessly with the action, and you’ll leave a round of gameplay whistling, because the tunes will get stuck in your head.
With blissfully short load times between battles and some truly in-depth fantasy storytelling, Monster Wars may just be the most engrossing strategy/slasher you’ve played this year.
Monster Wars is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.0 or later.