RTS (real-time strategy) titles have gained mixed success on the App Store by dialing back the complexity of a genre that has relied on a symbiosis with PC hardware for so long. Dark Fighter by Slowchop Studios joins these titles as a challenging RTS experience that's perfect for fans after a quick and furious match.

Intuitive controls are employed for moving around the screen via swipes, pinching to zoom and dragging objects to position them for construction. A catch-all build button allows players to perform base-related functions no matter where they are on screen. Attacking units are set permanently to an aggressive stance, making them perfect for dropping in to bases for fire-and-forget strategies. Multiple units can be selected with a highlight tool, but no ability to group them is available and pathing problems for long distance waypoints is also a concern.

There's only one 'race' to control in Dark Fighter, which does make for a rather bland fight when facing off against 'yourself' over and over, but thankfully more dedication has been put in to designing the huge variety of luscious maps. Multiplay is available via local and online networks, though net-play couldn't be tested at the time of this review. Offline play is available, but the AI is tenacious and aggressive, making it hard to learn how to play for new-comers.

RTS veterans will lap up the no-nonsense fast-paced gameplay of Dark Fighter, but the same can't be said for the casual gamers who are sadly left out of the loop.