In a way I feel woefully disappointed that I'm not more familiar with the Dofus series of titles by Ankama Games, but I'm pleasantly surprised to find that despite the rich background it has, Dofus: Battles for the App Store is not only approachable, but a great introduction to this fascinating world.

The mythos quickly sets up a narrative based around a demonically inspired human who presents a threat to the current gods, leading them to each create a champion, along with a magical dragon that can clone these heroes. The dragon is then sent out in to the world to put a stop to the rising evil, summoning units to block the progression of various monsters. Those familiar with the Plants vs. Zombies style of 'defense' gameplay will recognize the style of gameplay immediately, however each 'hero' represents an archetype of RPG 'class', providing benefits that extend beyond their lanes. In this way the game is far more similar to Vanguard Storm by Square Enix and the tactical approach to the gameplay makes for a far more intense combat system.

It's a challenging system to master and one that will require players to play around with hero configurations to discover new and powerful combinations to defeat various foes efficiently. Each hero can 'level up' by earning experience based on their use within a level, while items can be equipped to augment their skills for harder challenges. It's a deep system that makes progression all the more satisfying, but even on an 'easy' setting players are not given much quarter from the oncoming enemy assault.

Considering the game's similarity to a Square Enix title, it's no surprise to see the art-style reflecting the classic Tactics visuals, albeit with a far more polished illustrated finish. This lends a lot to the fantasy atmosphere, which is in turn supported by a rather interesting plot, making it an absorbing game to jump in to.

If you're a hardcore gamer that has been waiting for something meatier than the average throw-away title, Dofus: Battles is well worth checking out and it almost goes without saying, but if you're a Dofus fan and you don't already have a copy I'd seriously consider grabbing it as well.