Game Reviews

Davastator - A twin-stick punch to the face

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iOS
| Devastator
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Davastator - A twin-stick punch to the face
|
iOS
| Devastator

Although claustrophobic twin-stick pioneer Robotron has been cited as an influence on this latest Radiangames neon blaster, during play I was more in mind of an ancient Tank game, albeit one ramped up to deranged levels.

Each of the 50 waves isn't merely dependant on your ability to dart about and not die, but also to figure out hiding places and plans of attack.

In part this is because your ship is surprisingly slow, and the hordes of orange foes intent on your destruction are comparatively nippy.

Hurry it up

At first this makes Devastator appear stodgy, even lethargic. Early waves also feel like they're specifically designed to overwhelm, as little orbs multiply like rabbits, and projectile-firing orbs show up when you've had the audacity to not finish a level in a handful of seconds.

Eventually, though, you recognise that you need to strategise rather more than in the likes of Robotron.

Devastator isn't a game that especially rewards twitch gamers - to survive, you need to commit each wave's movement patterns and potential hiding places to memory, along with understanding the most opportune moments to use your limited power-ups.

Banana thumbs

Even with such realisations, Devastator is hard-going, sometimes bordering on punishing. On an iPad, the controls require quite precise finger-placement, to the degree thumb-slippage can cause death during frenetic battles.

With an MFi controller, though, the game's transformed. It's still no pushover, but it says something that during my first attempt armed with a SteelSeries Stratus XL, I got significantly further than in any previous game.

Other than that, Devastator serves up pretty much what you'd expect from Radiangames. The menu system is polished, and the graphics are neon. The music is thumping techno, and the gameplay is engaging, if a touch cold.

To my mind, it doesn't quite hit the highs of the fantastic Super Crossfighter or Gauntlet / twin-stick mash-up Inferno 2, but it's another solid and challenging blaster for anyone with twitchy thumbs.

And should you have a controller lying about, you'll likely consider this game rather more silvery than bronze, in terms of the Pocket Gamer award.

Davastator - A twin-stick punch to the face

More neon-infused shooty goodness from one of iOS's most dependable developers, and with plenty of challenge for the jaded
Score
Craig Grannell
Craig Grannell
Craig gets all confused with modern games systems with a million buttons, hence preferring the glass-surfaced delights of mobile devices. He spends much of his time swiping and tilting (sometimes actually with a device), and also mulling why no-one’s converted Cannon Fodder to iPad.