Shadow Guardian

[OptimuS PrimE]

The publisher Gameloft has a habit, it succeeds quite well indeed, it draws heavily on the big success of home consoles to produce their games on mobile devices. With Shadow Guardian is quite simply, a mini-version of Uncharted is found on the iPhone. Gameloft is known to use the microwave to recycle leftovers. Halo is made NOVA, Final Fantasy is made Eternal Legacy and Need for Speed Asphalt is made revolution and it works pretty well. This time, however, Gameloft has slipped a bit, not that Shadow Guardian is bad, but we can not say that in substance there is frankly fascinating. Directly inspired by Uncharted, Shadow Guardian recounts the adventures and mixing grimpettes crossfire Jason Call, prisoner of a neurotic who has great chained to a strange machine in charge of reviving memories. Each level will be drawn through its small memory, all of which are loosely connected by a scenario somewhat unclear as badly staged.

Shadow Guardian has a lot of valuable qualities. Firstly, it looks great. Call Jason animations are finely detailed trudge on when he knocks a wall or a soldier, and even more pleasant, the environments are varied, worked and operated through the levels quite large. These details help the game to give the feeling of a great epic adventure full of incredible surprises. In addition, the grip, whatever one might have feared, is effective. A virtual stick is always on the screen, and the key to the transition mode or under firing, and additional soft keys (action, jump, take cover) appear when the need arises. There is little that the camera that is painful to move, when it does not go straight into the cabbage. The controls are too much effective in fact. During phases of platforms, it is absolutely impossible to fall. Invisible walls along the lower edge and when climbing a wall, the player have no way of letting go to Jason. Except once at the jump point, only time you can press the softkey that we will jump to the next ledge. Do not be afraid to lose you, the path is mapped out and only one exists. So inevitably, when one knows one can not die, the game has beautiful deploy some effort to make us shudder (which is taken from under our hands, falling objects etc.), It does not.

And unfortunately, fighting is not better. The sight is fully assisted and can not be adjusted. So much so that the pointer turns itself practically on the enemy and it only remains to hold the fire button. To say he would not fail so much Shadow Guardian is played alone and happens to you. An auto-walk and hop, you can be absent four hours, the time required to complete 8 chapters, and you'll be back to see the credits. So, for the player seeking a little excitement, it's a bad beginning. "Small" players, however, should find their accounts is a good iPhone game enjoying a great achievement and will not make them suffer too.

[OptimuS PrimE]

The game action takes place in the third person and we will be committed in equal parts to climb so acrobatic on ancient ruins scattered in various parts of the world and face fierce fighting characterized by a fairly good cover system, which are very similar to that already seen Gears of War on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 Uncharted in the series. In any case, the general also recalls the ultimate action-adventure series, or Tomb Raider, especially in the sections most markedly and platforming in some circles that recall without shame those usually frequented Lara Croft. The Adventures of Jason Call (a hero if you want less prosperous archaeologist above, but equally eclectic) develop in a pleasant and smooth for the duration of the game, and be accompanied by the best graphics engine made so far by Gameloft and a soundtrack more than adequate. Even the plot, the central element in this kind of licenses and told through a clever use of flashbacks, is among the best put together by the French team.

What may seem an almost perfect product (always bearing in mind that we are talking about a game for iPhone / iPad!) Is ruined by a control system does not always rise to the occasion. The click buttons are very many, and with a touch surface is entirely too easy to accidentally press the button to get in coverage or take other action under while trying to simply change the orientation of the camera. Even during combat, for the same reason, take aim is not the easiest thing in the world, though often occurs a help system perhaps too generous. This is after all a problem of marginal iPad, but that turns out to be mangy sometimes in the presence of a smaller screen like the iPhone.

Like any production Gameloft, Shadow Guardian is a product more than decent and certainly among the best on the AppStore in all genres. However, it is a product characterized by a strong flavor derived from other work: this fact is both its strong point is its greatest weakness. If, in fact, call the heavyweights of the likes of Uncharted may attract the attention of many fans and provide a formula for guaranteed success, it encourages them to appeal against the same hence the title Gameloft can not go out with dignity but then remember that we have in hand a portable device and wonder again what it was able to bring the talented French publisher.

[OptimuS PrimE]

Conclusion

A good product that can not miss in library applications of anyone even remotely interested in the genre. The flaws are few and they account for at most only marginally annoying. At a cost of $7.00 is a title almost a must, as long as you love the genre and the postponement of a control system is not really friendly. Shadow Guardian is a good coating with its nice achievement, large spacious surroundings or inspired level design. Damage, however, that its hyper-assisted grip does finally make the game much, much, much too simplistic. We therefore reserve rather very casual gamers who do not want to take the lead. And regulars will find their happiness elsewhere.

The controls respond very well, only the camera is caught out quite regularly. So, Jason is pretty nice monitor and it is ultimately the problem. Shadow Guardian will quickly annoy the players until at least challenge it as the plaque on the rails and made almost everything for them. A very clean implementation of the service varied environments and large well-built levels. Damage, however, that some bugs will make out time to time.Barely four hours of play will be needed to complete the adventure, just a little anyway.The dialogues are pretty crappy but the music and sound effects save the day, fortunately.The scenario might be simple, it remains strangely obscure. The fault lies with a narrative rather badly stamped.