The App Shelf for iPhone and iPod touch
Top Shelf Apps for week of July 27, 2010New apps added every Tuesday! |
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Reviews
Video Review: Gameloft’s Blades of Fury Delivers a True Fighting Experience
Price: $6.99
App Store Link: Full / No Lite Version
Verdict: Love it!
Pros: Great graphics, astounding gameplay, comfortable controls and a multiplayer mode to boot!
Cons: Only that it wasn’t released sooner.
Bottom line: Quite possibly the best fighting game app on the App Store. If you’ve been itching for some hack and slash brawling, don’t hesitate to download.
The software development company Gameloft has recently been positioning itself as one of the premiere publishers of high-end, premium quality iPhone OS games, and by now, its no secret that the do so by re-inventing popular console titles, such as Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto, and Madden NFL 10 (just to name a few) and bringing them to the iPhone. One of the most recent additions to that line up is Blades of Fury, a beautifully rendered 3D fighting game along the same lines as the popular Soul Calibur series.
In my opinion, despite any initial skepticism, Blades of Fury manages to deliver the first well-implemented and full-featured fighting game to the App Store. The app features several play modes, including story, arcade, and survival, 10 unique characters, each with specific individual characteristics, weapons, and costumes. Each character also has a large move set consisting of approximately 20 attacks and combinations.
For those familiar with Soul Calibur, everything about this app will feel very familiar. The victor must take the best of three rounds. The play primarily occurs in 2D plain, but players can sidestep around the 3D ring to avoid incoming attacks. There are 2 basic types of attacks, horizontal and vertical along with a slew of special moves powered by an energy meter. Players can win a round by either polishing off their opponent’s health meter or knocking him out of the ring.
Gameplay is very enjoyable. Story mode allows players to follow the interlocking storyline of all the characters and unlock new characters (included within the aforementioned cast of 10), while arcade and survival mode are perfect for quick consecutive battles. Thankfully the game contains a multiplayer mode where you can battle friends over Wi-fi or Bluetooth.
The on-screen analog stick and buttons work surprisingly well and feel confortable to use. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of pulling off detailed combos or special moves. To aid in mastering this process a practice mode is included, and each character’s attack move list can be accessed from the pause menu during any game mode.
All in all, Blades of Fury is an impressive fighting game app for the iPhone OS that rivals what many might expect to find on a portable, dedicated gaming system, such as the PSP. It’s no surprise to find this app priced at a premium price-point of $6.99, but if you’re a fighting game enthusiast downloading this app is a no brainer (and doubly so if you’re a fan of Soul Calibur).
