Card battling warfare and real-time tower defense make for a surprisingly great mash-up, but it's the hilariously gruesome moment where Alexandria Bloodshow's stylized Egyptian and Greek warriors start disemboweling one another on-screen in sprays of gore and flying appendages that sticks in my mind. This addictive sequel to Samurai Bloodshow certainly doesn't skimp on the over-the-top gore, though it's the underlying strategy of collecting cards and playing them to deploy units onto the battlefield at just the right moment that held me glued to the screen.
Conquering the land in separate sprawling campaigns, you play as either the Egyptians or the Greeks -- the latter army is accessed by paying $3.99 to unlock the full version -- in a bloody grudge match to the death. These grisly encounters unfold in real-time on chessboard-like arenas where you play cards to plunk down an assortment of warriors, in order to keep waves of invading forces from sacking your king. When combatants clash, they whittle away at one another until the victor lets loose a war cry and violently disembowels their opponent. It's absurdly brutal, yet satisfying.
Much of Alexandria Bloodshow's fun comes from strategizing and careful card placement. Deck sizes are limited and you can only play cards after you've amassed coins that accumulate slowly as you play. Stacking the same card on an already deployed unit levels up and instantly heals the unit, allowing you to save it from premature defeat with careful timing. You can even pay a little extra in-game coin to relocate troops different positions on the grid to meet oncoming attacks.
Both armies' campaigns offer different units and a unique visual design, and multiple difficulty tiers for every level add loads of replay. Unlocking and collecting unit cards to form battle decks is equally absorbing, giving you lots to tinker with between matches.
The bottom line. Satisfying and gory, Alexandria Bloodshow's strategic card battling and real-time tower defense gameplay form an addictive blend that yields countless hours of bloody combat.
of 5
iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 4.1 or later
Super fun genre mash-up. Hilariously gory. Lots of strategy involved in battles. Expansive amount of content
Stages grow repetitive over time. Takes a while to unlock units without spending extra cash. Card pack downloads are a bit pricey.
