Vanquish: The Oath of Brothers ($2.99) is Gamevil’s beautifully art-directed, side-scrolling, hack-n-slash iPhone game adventure with a compelling storyline, bombastic music and great graphics based on traditional wash painting techniques. I wanted so much to like this game, but I find I can’t because of a lack of depth in the upgrades, trouble with game play, and a nauseating, semi-sorta-almost-3D playing environment where virtual joystick controls are quite difficult to master.
More or less a side scrolling game, it uses text cut scenes that advance the storyline; allowing for a tutorial, a succession of bosses, allies to assist or give helpful items and/or power upgrades. At different points, you’re given choices that affect the outcome of the game’s progression, and this promotes the realism of the excellent storytelling here.
Essentially, this iPhone game is a violent button-masher, with plenty of flying blood from slashing footmen and empty horses running wildly about after you’ve killed their owners. You kill a lot of enemies in this game — it has a kills counter, after all. Unfortunately, I didn’t kill as many as I’d like to because of the controls!
When you review a game like this, where your start-up screens, buttons, characters, cut scenes and details are all so well done and appropriate to the style of the game, you really want to give it a positive review. Those who can get past the wonky control environment or who enjoy a hack-n-slash type game, are sure to enjoy this.
