Red Star Review
PROS
- Complex, challenging beat'em up gameplay.
- Bullet-hell style boss encounters.
- Intricate, luscious 3D world and effects.
CONS
- Lots of visual slow-down.
- No checkpoints for the casual player.
- Crowded interface.
VERDICT
Red Star is a decent adaption of a great beat'em up title that pushes the limits of the current generation iDevices and seriously tests your hardcore gaming skills.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
The Red Star, for those who follow comics, is a series set in an alternate-universe post-World War II Russia that mixes technology and magic together. A game for the PS2 was developed and released in 2007 and after XS Games' recent adaption of the title to the PSP, iPhone users are now also able to experience this intricate beat'em up on the go.
A few concessions had to be made to ensure that Red Star was playable in the same way for the iPhone and the first thing most players will notice is its crowded control layout. Buttons are available for players to attack with melee, ranged and special abilities or block as required. Double-tapping will allow players to 'lock on' to enemies to assist with ranged firing or initiate special combos.
Players are thrown in to the thick of it as soon as they start and it's easy to be distracted by the game's luscious 3D visuals. Sadly the performance even on a 3GS is noticeably slowed down even before players engage in boss-fights that beautifully combine beat'em up gameplay with bullet-hell style sequences. This could be forgivable if it wasn't for the obvious lack of convenient checkpoints that require players to restart lengthy sections when they die.
Despite its hefty flaws, Red Star is definitely a title for the hardcore gamers on the App Store as their perseverance is rewarded with challenging and complex gameplay. A great title, but definitely not for everyone.
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