[Video Game] Shogun: Rise of the Renegade

[[ChaosweaveR]]

One genre of the mobile gaming scene that's been sadly filled with too many flops: the classic top down shooter. I've played quite a few on my iPod, a lot of them were disappointing. This, however, caught my attention. A disappointment? Nope.

Developed by int13, Shogun injects new and old into this classic game style. Wonderfully vivid graphics, detailed 2D sprites over a 3D backdrop.

The backstory isn't too wild for a game like this:

The year 2160: the ending of World War IV, as the forces of the world were weakened, a mysterious robotic armada swoops in and conquers their foes. You're humanity's last hope, with your specially built fighter.

The controls are simple, touch the screen to move and dodge enemy fire. You have three main weapons, Spread, Homing, and Lazer, all self explanatory. You have all three when you start, when you let go of the screen, it doesn't pause, but goes into super slow motion. Your weapon select appears, indicated by L, S, H. There is also an "upgrade" button "+" where you give up a shield reserve for more powerful weapons.

The levels are fast and intense, each of the main levels containing a mini boss halfway, then a main boss at the end. Your health can slowly regenerate by absorbing nearby enemy fire. You'll notice shield icons pop up a decent amount, and for the bosses, you'll need that support.

All in all, this is a game that properly revives the awesome top shooters from the late 80's, early 90's, during this genre's heyday. Great graphics, very good interface, decent replay value, the music flows wonderfully with the game's futuristic style. This game is currently free in the Apple App Store, normally $1.99.

Even if it wasn't free, I still would have happily paid for this. 8/10