The Game Bakers cooked up a tasty, well-plated iOS debut with its original twist on critter-flinging combat, and Squids: Wild West sees the gang of adorably stretchy cephalopod protagonists return for another round of crazy gun slinging and squid hurling fun.
Deep sea vistas blend with the dusty west in each beautifully designed battlefield, making for a peculiar mix that works so well largely due to the high level of polish and personality woven throughout the presentation. The fact that Squids: Wild West is a real looker is bolstered by accessible gameplay that belies its strategic depth. Encounters play out in turn-based confrontations, which have you dragging and snapping each member of your squid squad by their tentacles to launch them across the screen. Surprisingly, it feels a lot like playing pool - except with fighting squid - and that's a good thing.
Bashing into baddies deals damage, but objectives go beyond merely clearing out the rabble. Puzzle stages, environmental hazards, and boss encounters keep combat fresh, and the squid themselves inject a lot of strategic variety into the fray too. The quirky cast of characters you encounter and recruit throughout the upbeat story is broken into four classes that each come with unique abilities. Troopers, for example, are burly battlers that can pound the ground to damage multiple enemies nearby, while Healers restore health to any allies they bump into. Leveling-up your crew and buying a medley of charming stat-boosting hats with pearls you collect in each stage adds a satisfying RPG-style progression system, which goes beyond pushing your posse from one stage to the next.
The bottom line. It's this balance of depth and newcomer friendliness that makes Squids: Wild West so enjoyable. You don't have to strain your brain to grasp all the moving parts, but there's much more to it than just flicking your squid around. As far as sequels go, this one's a winner.
of 5
iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad running iOS 4.0 or later
Accessible gameplay without sacrificing depth. Nice RPG elements. Stunning presentation.
Some stages can be a bit brutal.
