Bring The Noise Gaming: iOS

Showing posts with label iOS. Show all posts

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Browser Game Review: Nords - Heroes of the North

Browser Game Review:

Nords - Heroes of the North

The most basic of internet functions, the web browser, has been the launching platform for many, many games. These titles include Crystal Saga, Evony, Stormfall, and so many others. The focus for this review, however, will be centralized on "Nords - Heroes of the North." And for good reason.

"Nords - Heroes of the North" is a fantastic empire building game that focuses on building up a stronghold with the resources available so that the player can overtake their fellow facebookers on a massively scaled battlefield. There are four resource types: Fire Ale, Mushrooms, Fish, and Emeralds. While the first three resources can be gained from within the walls of the player's stronghold, the Emeralds are gained in a variety of ways. The first and quite obvious way is to pay real cash to get your hands on these golden beauties. They are also acquired by completing quests or by hitting certain achievement thresholds, but they can also be obtained by competing in the global-scale tournaments that take place on a daily basis.

The progression of the player's stronghold also holds quite a unique path. There are far too many options to be able to go into great depth, so we'll just stick with the basics. Firstly, there are blood pacts, that unlock certain units as well as upgrade them. Once certain upgrades are reached, the player will then have access to different "races" of warriors, each one progressively better than the last. These races include: Northmen, Orcs, and Elves. The player starts off with the Northman class, but once the correct blood pacts and barracks are built, access to Orcs and Elves will become available. One more unit type that the player has access to is that of the Dragon. Dragon-class warriors are by far the most superior, but only limited access is granted at first. Overall, these diversifying racial qualities add to the depth of the game.

While resources are great and a broad warrior pool is mouth watering, what really takes the cake in this empire building, battle rager of a game, is the actual combat system. When it comes to real-time empire games, Nords can be considered a breath of fresh air. The combat system separates the units into three different categories: Scouting, Offense, and Defense. At this point, it becomes the player's decision to focus on whether they want to be a full-blown raiding terror on the lands of Shingard, or if they would rather turtle up and protect their precious resources from the claws of their would-be tyrant neighbors. To also add to this concept, there is an extremely useful "Clan" option that gives the player the choice to join up with like-minded folks in order to vie for dominance in group raids.

The major downside to this game, is the fact that pretty much all aspects of the game take FOREVER to build. So if you don't exactly have too much time to dilly dally with real-time games in general, Nords is definitely out of reach.

In conclusion, if you have plenty of time on your hands, are looking for just some sort of time-killer to keep your attention, or just like real-time empire building games then "Nords - Heroes of the North" is the right game for you!

For more information on "Nords - Heroes of the North" please visit:

http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/nords-heroes-of-the-north/

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Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Windows Phone Game Review: Demon Defence

Tower defense games are undoubtedly a major staple when it comes to quick, fun-to-play games both on mobile devices as well as on PC. The approach tends to be the same from game to game, with slightly different features and tactics. "Demon Defence" follows this pattern as well.

"Demon Defence" has a storyline that revolves around building monstrous creations to fend off "demons" that are intent on attacking a little girl on a rocking horse. The story, is without a doubt, lacking. The whole concept can be lost as there isn't really too much elaboration on this element of the game. Thankfully, for what Demon Defence lacks in plotline, it makes up for with gameplay.

Basically, the player starts off with one "tower" which is in fact a laser. This laser does light damage while firing at a quickened pace, but its effectiveness truly runs it's course very early on in the game. However, as the game progresses and based on level performance and difficulty, the player has the chance to purchase and upgrade other tower models in the "shop" section of the game. The curency is blue diamonds, and these diamonds are won at the end of each map as well as randomly dropped in levels (though it is completely rare) by killing demons.

Along with this slightly different approach to the typical "tower defense" game, there are obstacles in the maps that allow the player to gain more money as well as "reveal" hidden towers. This process is also quite random. (So don't get your hopes if you are trying to destroy a rock or a tree in order to get that super awesome tower, because it probably won't happen.) Not to mention the clearing of said objects can be quite a stressful ordeal when also trying to manage the demon waves, which in turn get progressively stronger.

On top of all of this, the developers did a very nice job of making sure to add on more content in "episodes," but yet again, the higher up in the levels you go, the difficulty rises exponentially.

All in all, Demon Defence does a great job of carving it's name into the long list of worthy tower defence games. However, if patience or re-thinking tactics isn't your strong suit, this game will most certainly beat you before you have the chance to beat it.

For more information on Demon Defence, or to download the game and play it yourself, please visit:

Windows Phone:

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/demondefence/aac202ed-8da9-4e5a-b157-c22bd69617e5

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fireflygame.demondefencegoogle&hl=en

iOS:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/demon-defence/id686408740?mt=8

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Android Game App Review: Hay Day

Farming games and simulators are a genre all to themselves. With titles such as Harvest Moon or Wild Season, just to name a couple, it's quite easy to see why farming games can be so addictive. "Hay Day" can add it's name to the list of good farming games and has many features to back it up.

Hay Day is a great little app that can be downloaded for the Android persuasion of mobile phones and tablets, and it is most definitely worth checking out. First of all, it is in fact free, so anyone who wishes to download can do so without that initial investment. Once downloaded, Hay Day will immediately win the player over with it's "happy" theme and colors.

The overall feel of the game is one of absolute enjoyment. It's a very simple concept to grasp hold of right away, and there is even a short tutorial that guides the user through the very first steps and basics of the game. This tutorial's guide is none other than a cute little scarecrow that pops up all over the farm to indicate to the player what needs to be done next. Once the tutorial is over, the player is then presented with a style of free-form play, and that is where the true fun begins.

As with most "building" game apps, there is a timed production and also a premium currency (in this case it's daimonds/white gems). One great feature of the premium currency is the fact that the game itself actually gives many opportunities to the player to acquire the gems rather than having to actually shell out any dough. This can range from "lock boxes" found on the farm map, to side quests, to leveling up, and achievements, plus so much more. This is an incredible feature for those of us out there who are pinching our pennies, but still looking to enjoy a nice relaxing game app.

While the "free" premium currency is a plus, the major portion of enjoyment that comes from this game is the ability to sustain your farm with an extremely large variety of animals and products. From chickens to cows, to bread-making and delivery trips, there is always something to do in order to keep the player coming back for more.

As mentioned above, there is also an achievement system that gives you bonuses in experience and materials as you complete them, and this is yet another great way that the game keeps the player's interest. On top of the achievement system there is also a "Facebook" connection option as well as a worldwide market for materials and crops, so if supplies end up running thin, there are always more options to get what's needed.

Overall, "Hay Day" offers a great a experience and delivers on that experience by keeping the player engaged with so many things to do, but also balancing itself out so that the user doesn't get overwhelmed. Not to mention the "free-form" play model offers that feeling of freedom and "do as you wish" playstyle that so many apps nowadays seem to lack. If you are looking for a great mobile app that is both easy on the pocketbook but overflowing in fun and de-stressing, Hay Day is a must!

For more information on "Hay Day" or to download it for your Android/iOS mobile device, please visit:

http://supercell.com/en/games/hayday/