Shoving weaponry into the hands of cartoon animals such as rabbits, dogs, and lions might sound a desperate move - but publishers China Wireless Arts are keen to emphasise that Armed Beasts is much more than just an amusing concept.
The overhead shooter throws in a range of enemies, locations, and mission objectives to keep you interested after the thrill of a bull firing a chaingun has long since worn off.
Wendy Don from China Wireless Arts spoke to us about how the game has a range of locales to explore, weapons to sample, and what the multiplayer options involve.
AppSpy: What does Armed Beasts offer that no other overhead shooter on the App Store can?
Wendy: Armed Beasts is a 3D game with an original theme, which perfectly combines some of the most popular elements in shooters, including zombies, the need for sharp shooting skills, and the adventurous plot.
Also, the short chapters can offer unlimited joy each time you play the game, as they can include rescuing different beasts, [fighting] against the invasion of alien monsters, and protecting your own planet.
AppSpy: Is there enough variety in the levels' locations to make sure the game doesn't get repetitive?
Wendy: There are six locations in Armed Beasts, each of which has its own special characteristic feature.
In “Lost Temple," for example, you may see a huge green field; in “Golden Shore” you get stretches of beautiful long beach; and in the chapter “The Darkside” you will be surrounded by stars and walking on the moon.
Aside from the locales themselves, you will need to fight different bosses in these environments.
AppSpy: How did the choice to make beasts the main characters come about?
Wendy: In Armed Beasts, we have already evaluated each beast based on its weapon's abilities. There are three major factors for each weapon: attack rate, reloading speed, and magazine size.
You may still choose whatever beasts or weapons you prefer, of course, but we will emphasize that when it comes to the bosses, certain beasts are better equipped to defeat them.
AppSpy: How have you made sure there's a balance between the weapons?
Wendy: There are six beasts in the game, each of which has its own weapons.
Eben, a dual gunner, is the first beast you will choose when you start the game. Eben can help you to get through all the mission types and to rescue the other beasts in the game (if you successfully rescue them, the majority will belong to you... without any in-game purchases).
Whenever you get a new beast, you're faced with a new challenge. We believe that each player will have its own favourite weapon and will [be] looking forward to beating the bosses by using it.
AppSpy: What multiplayer options are there?
Wendy: For those who like multiplayer gaming, we have included Game Center functionality. You will be ranked in terms of the number of enemy waves you've cleared - meaning you can compare these rankings with all your friends.
We also rank the waves you get in each level, so you can check your ranking any time and anywhere.
AppSpy: Have you any plans to port the game to other mobile gaming formats?
Wendy: Soon after the iOS version, we have plans to release the Android version worldwide - and if people like it, we’d like to develop the Windows Phone version, too.
Armed Beasts is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad now, and is currently free to download [iTunes link].
Check out the trailer for the game below:
