Warpgate by Freeverse has already had some time to warm up with its HD release on the iPad earlier this month, but how does it hold up for the iPhone? Following in the footsteps of games like Freelancer, Warpgate is a space trading and combat simulation that's perfectly suited for iDevices.

What makes the genre so appealing is its blend of open-world mechanics with quest based objectives to convey an underlying storyline. Being action oriented, combat often represents the most complex controls available in these games. Both trading and combat are kept simple and use basic taps to navigate and perform combat. Other gestures provide easier navigation, with pinching or double taps for zooming and twisting to rotate the camera.

Many of the game's models are rendered as simply as possible, but these sharp-edged vehicles are beautifully textured and fit well in to the game's futuristic setting. Despite the simplistic combat controls, engaging other ships will zoom in on the battlefield where you can watch the ships elegantly dance around each other in real time. The 2D background artwork is complex and makes the most of the minimalistic user interface. Warpgate's music is suitably 'sci-fi', littered with upbeat orchestral symphonies and light rock anthems that are easy to listen to and makes the inclusion of OS 3.0 playlists almost blasphemous.

If you're already playing Warpgate on an iPad, there's no need to step back to the iPhone version, but for everyone else Warpgate is a great way to spend your free time.