Siege Hero: Android finally gets a port of the addictive 2D physics puzzler.
Angry birds requires no explanation and you will be forgiven to think that all subsequent 2D physics puzzlers are imitations of the most successful mobile phone game in history. However it was in fact Armour games, the makers of Siege Hero (which is published by MiniClip on Android) that released Crush the Castle a few months earlier, that will make you scratch your head on whom took inspiration from whom. Find out what we thought of Armour Games’ Android port below.
Gameplay: Think of 2D physics puzzlers and you automatically think of Angry Birds with a side on view of the world where you need to propel your missiles from left to right. Siege Hero takes this concept and rotates the world 90 degrees anti clockwise in the Y axis, giving a unique face on view of the gameplay. What this means is that rather than pulling your trusty oversized catapult back to control the power and angle that you fire different coloured birds, you are faced with simply tapping on the screen to launch your rocks with the goal of crushing the invaders by toppling structures on top of them. You can’t actually throw your weapons at your enemies directly. This sounds like a step back in gameplay from the familiar avian slinging antics but surprisingly it isn’t’.
The fun comes from the refreshing gameplay dynamic where you tap and hold onto the screen which brings up a zoomed in view including cross hair of where you are aiming. This allows you to be super accurate when taking your shots which is undoubtedly needed if you want to clear each stage with a gold crown, Siege Hero’s equivalent to Angry Birds’ highest star rating. The challenge in obtaining gold crowns is as expected to use as few weapons as possible to defeat all the enemies on the screen, however the extra objective is to do it without killing the defenceless peasants taken as hostages. An entertaining array of weapons gets slowly revealed to you as you progress through the levels. These range from the standard rock, to fire balls and bombs. Each have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the type of surface they strike.
What stands out in Siege Hero is how well the levels are designed. You will find there is a particular way of completing each level, often with only one or two shots, in order to be rewarded with the gold crown. I personally found most of the levels in Angry Birds too hard to obtain 3 stars and that there was too much trial and error involved to do so, resulting in a constant unfulfilling cycle of aim, fire and tweak. Not with Siege Hero, you can take a minute to sit back, analyse the structure’s weak points and then take your calculated shots to be rewarded for your intended efforts.
Siege Hero looks and sounds great. The HD sprites and textures are very easy on the eyes and epic music between levels really suits the historical “through the Ages” theming. Although the branding isn’t as strong as the multicolored flying birds, it’s certainly less annoying.
Verdict: 4/5 Siege Hero certainly doesn’t redefine mobile phone gaming however it does offer a thoroughly entertaining and addicting gameplay experience. The well designed puzzles rewards you appropriately for your efforts, whilst the different weapons and 200+ levels will certainly keep you occupied for the stated 10+ hours. Great Stuff!
Siege Hero Promotional Video
Developers: ARMOUR GAMES
Siege Hero QR Code
(Click on the image or scan the barcode with your Android phone to goto Google Play)
