We were just asking for directions to the center of the labyrinth.
Amid all the simplistic casino and puzzle games crowding the App Store, it's easy to forget that the iPhone can pump out some pretty console-like game experiences. Case in point: Hero of Sparta, a cinematic hack-and-slash adventure through the greatest hits of Greek mythology. In terms of presentation, it's hard to process the fact that Hero of Sparta is running on a phone. Sure, the action can get a little choppy from time to time as the game struggles to move a lot of characters around onscreen. But the large spaces and detailed character movement still turn heads.
Alas, the experience of actually playing the game isn't nearly as memorable. Hero of Sparta is an unabashedly derivative journey through eight mythological levels wherein our hero, King Argos of Sparta, beats the crap out of harpies, scorpions, centaurs, minotaurs, and other mythological beasts. Using dead-simple combinations of attacks, Argos hacks his way through relatively repetitive waves of enemies. And all the while, an arrow hovers over his head, pointing the way to the next destination--and guaranteeing that players need not tax their precious gray matter.
This simplicity and repetition might not be as big a complaint if the developers had managed to really nail the controls. But unfortunately, navigating Argos around those impressively large environments can be more than a little unreliable. Though the "virtual joystick" does a good job of moving our hero in the four cardinal directions, the control system has a hard time recognizing smaller movements. Add the finicky behavior of the jump button, and it begins to feel as though you're fighting Argos as much as his enemies.
As a showcase of what the iPhone's power, Hero of Sparta
is an impressive feat. Players hungry for mythical slaughter--and
tolerant of wonky controls--will be hooked.
Hero of Sparta 1.0.0
COMPANY: Gameloft
CONTACT: www.gameloft.com
PRICE: $9.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone or iPod touch with 2.1 software update.
Slick graphics and animation. Big, varied levels. Cinematic presentation, complete with orchestral score.
Troublesome controls when jumping or switching directions. Repetitive
gameplay. Visuals get choppy when lots of enemies come onscreen.
