Epic Flail - It is that
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iOS
| Epic Flail

How do you make a good action game on iOS? It's all about limiting the possibilities. Of making sure that the player isn't overwhelmed by inputs and complexity, and can jump in and kill a bunch of stuff.

And that's exactly what Epic Flail does. It strips the genre down to its bare bones, and we're left with a frantic, fast-paced dash-and-slasher that's challenging and entertaining at the same time.

It's a brilliant example of sweaty-palmed, twitchy murdering with a few tricks up its armoured sleeve. All wrapped up in a gorgeous pixel art swords-and-sandals aesthetic.

Flail of the century

The controls are simple. You've got a floating joystick on the left of the screen and a single button on the right. Push the button in combination with a direction and you'll shoot off that way.

Everything plays out in single-screen arenas, which change the deeper you get into the game. You face off against waves of enemies, all of them intent on chopping you into gory pixel chunks.

To start with, a single hit will kill you. But when an enemy misses you they're vulnerable for a short time. Essentially you're engaged in a frantic dance of slice and counter slice, trying to hit an opponent before they hit you.

As the game goes on you collect armour that protects you against damage. Take a hit and the armour flies off, but you can collect it again. There are helmets, breast plates, and shields, and you'll need them all if you want to survive.

Later levels add traps and other obstacles. One sees you dangling off a chain, another throws spikes into the mix that'll kill you and anyone else that strays onto them.

There are boss fights too, and a special move called the epic flail that kicks in when you've killed enough opponents. It adds another level of protection and potential slaughter to your arsenal.

Flail the seven seas

Epic Flail is a fast and frantic battler that fits perfectly on mobile. You're darting around the screen, cutting enemies down to size, and generally having a lovely old time.

It's not an easy game, but it is simple. You'll spend a while getting used to the pace, and figuring out the best way to deal with the variety of assailants that you'll come up against.

This is a sharp, violent, and sometimes insanely fast game that asks a lot of your fingers. And you'll be only too happy to try and keep up.

Epic Flail - It is that

A recklessly entertaining action game that's the perfect fit for mobile
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.