Infinity Blade is a revelation. Built on Unreal Engine, this game pushes the graphical boundaries of the iPhone and iPad so far beyond what you think those devices are capable of that you may have a hard time believing that these visuals are coming from those devices. One could say it’s, unreal.
Sorry for the horrible joke. I don’t need to explain to anyone how amazing this game looks. But it is worth talking about how well it actually plays. Does the gameplay rival the graphics in awesomenss? Or is this a graphical showcase with no substance?
Based on what you’ve seen in pictures and video, it can be really easy to misinterpret what this game is. It is not a massive RPG. If you are looking for some intricate role-playing elements, you will not find much more than the ability to manage an inventory. If you’re looking a grand story, you will not find that here, either.
What you will get though in regards to story will also function as a major gameplay mechanic. You start out the game as a man who has sworn to kill the God King. You fight him in the very first level and eventually lose. Fast forward 21 years, and your son has decided to finish what you started. You will then play as the son and fight your way through the God King’s castle and eventually take on the God King again. Unless you’re possess legendary touch-screen-swordsmanship, you will probably die the same way your dad did.
While a game about you dying over and over again doesn’t sound very fun, you’re not at a complete loss. When you follow through with the next bloodline, you will have the same stats and equipment your father left off with. Eventually, you will have the skills and the gear to take out the God King once and for all.
What’s genius about this mechanic is that it adds context for why you’d want to play this game for a long time. In the grand scheme of things, you’ll see the gist of what this game has to offer in your first play-through, which you can complete in about 30 minutes. However, there’s reason to play it far beyond that thanks to the leveling mechanics and the hope that some day you’ll actually complete the work of your forefathers. The other genius part about the structure of the game is that it’s perfectly suited for on-the-go play. Since the actual fights are relatively short, you can easily start this game, complete a fight, then put it away.
I’ve gone this far into the review without actually talking about how it plays. Oops. Infinity Blade is essentially medieval Punch-Out. You face off against increasingly difficult foes, one at a time, and deal the most damage by blocking, dodging or parrying your enemies attacks first. You also have a super move and magic available to you, which require that you charge them up before using them. It all seems rather basic on the surface, but its all implemented really well and is very fun to play. Eventually, things will start to get repetitive, but by then you’ve probably already gotten your money’s worth.
Infinity Blade is a great example of a developer playing to the strengths of the platform. Chair Entertainment could have easily tried to make this a full-blown RPG to match the stunning visuals, but instead opted to go with something better suited for an on-the-go experience. It’s not the most in-depth or deep game, even for an iPhone game, but what it does do, it does really well.
In Third Person 