Battle Group Review
PROS
- Visceral feel to the combat thanks to small touches like screaming pilots.
- Intuitive touch-based controls; tap and drag to survive.
- Unlockable vehicles and special 'medals' add replay incentive.
CONS
- Secondary ship targeting system can be touchy; can cause mistakes in the heat of battle.
- No real difficulty options; can require repeat attempts to master challenging levels.
VERDICT
Battle Group combines shoot'em-ups with a Missile Command system of combat to create something entirely unique and challenging in a way that teases you to play just one more level.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
I'd like to think that we've all seen Missile Command before; its iconic gameplay revolving around spitting out explosive charges to consume incoming projectiles has even been the subject of TV shows like Chuck. More to the point, remakes have never been in short supply, but few attempt to truly innovate like Battle Group by Bane Games.
Much like the game that inspired it, you'll initially tap the screen to launch explosive charges that slowly move away from your ship to defend it from incoming missiles. Soon after that you'll need to defend yourself from various jets, boats and even submarines set to destroy you and your fleet. Thankfully you're not limited to one tap at a time and judicious use of good timing and quick taps will allow you to fire off an entire salvo of charges while still being able to redirect other weapons such as a long-range machine gun to defend from other sneaky attacks.
Your ability to decimate enemies is rewarded with the ever-present star system, however damage inflicted on your ships will make it harder to reach a perfect score and additional experience is also earned to help unlock and upgrade the ships at your disposal. Not only can you make your ship and secondary fleet vessel more powerful, a collection of 'medals' can be earned by completing special requirements, unlocking even more ships to decimate your pirate foes.
More than anything else, Battle Group feels like a shoot'em-up, albeit without the need to dodge bullets. The need to be precise and perfect with your timing is rewarded no less than in a regular shmup, so you'll need to be on your A-game to survive later levels.
Bane Games ties the whole single-player package up in to a neat visual package, with crisp designs and a clear interface that pairs the remote warfare motif with audio clips (such as a pilot screaming) to remind you that it's not all fun and games.
Battle Group is, quite simply, a tight shooter worth checking out if you fancy yourself to be a bit of a dead-eye.
Screenshots
$1.99
