The iPad screen is perfect for strategy games. Easy to navigate and able to beautifully display a plethora of colors, it’s a wonder why there aren’t more simulation titles out there.
7Sixty’s “Archibald and Remus Minor Lords” is proof that tried and true gameplay has a place on the device. With its simple and intuitive layout and cartoony, charming graphics, it’s able to steal both minutes and hours of your time. While the game has its blemishes, it’s the type of game that offers more of a console game experience than titles such as “Temple Run” or “Angry Birds” do. At the same time, it is equally as fun on a bus or a train.
Part castle protector, part strategy game, this title hardens back to classic strategy gems of the past. Simple to jump in and play, the action is easy at first, but picks up nicely. Like any solid strategy game, it definitely has its moments where it induces frustration and satisfaction. The tower options are also a main draw. Aside from shooting cows and chickens at your enemies, you can also burn, explode or shoot glass shards at them. The amount of pleasure these weapons induce during gameplay rivals any experience you can have on the iPad.
Combining a nice level of difficulty with a hearty helping of unlockables, “Archibald and Remus Minor Lords” is one of the best games currently available on the iPad. It may not be as sexy as “GTA 3” or as pretty as “Squids” or “Angry Birds,” but it satisfies and does exactly what it’s supposed to.
The story of “Archibald and Remus Minor Lords” however is inconsequential. While the characters try to draw you in, you’ll most likely skip past the dialogue. This has a lot to do with the fact that the story and extra bells and whistles lack the same polish as the main game. While there aren’t any glitches and bugs when in the middle of a game, in between levels feels rushed.
For example, the voice-overs sound like they were done in a public rest room and later edited on Audacity. The story, while making an attempt at humor, isn’t funny at all. Think “Monty Python” meets “South Park.”
These hiccups don’t make the game any less fun though. Cheeky castle defense with a twist, “Archibald and Remus Minor Lords” won’t get the press bigger name games will get, but that doesn’t mean it can’t hang with them.
And shoot some glass shards, or possibly a cow at them too.
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