You know how some games look like they’re not to be taken seriously but end up surprising you? Well, App Store’s former Game of the Week pick Sword and Soldiers is proof that you can’t judge an iOS game by its screenshot.
PC port Swords and Soldiers is a side scrolling real time strategy (RTS) game that revolves around the ultimate barbecue feast and finding the perfect chili. You get to play 3 different classes – Viking, Aztec and Chinese, each with their own unique set of powers, and fight using a blend of warriors, buildings and spells.
The unique powers and spells alone already set this game apart. For example, while Viking berserkers rely on brute strength and rage to get things done, Aztecs also rely on mana to reanimate corpses and make them warriors, and poison to take out huge waves of enemies. Both require very different strategies to get things done — you heal berserkers to keep on going but with Aztecs you occasionally have to sacrifice warriors to gather enough mana for other more effective spells.
Central to winning the game is an efficient production chain which depends on how much and how quickly you can earn money. Warriors, spells and buildings have their own resource tree and you would need enough gold and timing to activate and eventually use them.
More than the silliness of the premise is a strategy game that puts emphasis on real time battles. I personally don’t like the cartoony art style so much, at least not the Vikings. But, art aside, there’s quite a bit of strategic depth and exciting gameplay that’s incredibly addictive. On top of that, there’s a challenge mode for unique mini-games, multi-player (currently just split screen) and skirmish (customizable difficulty to challenge the AI).
Hopefully the developers will eventually put in Game Center integration and multi-player mode, which would make the game incredibly entertaining. I can just imagine slugging it out with a friend who’s half a world away!
The game is oodles of fun and stands out as a unique castle defense game worthy of a special place in your iPad.
Download Swords and Soldiers HD from the App Store for $4.99.
