Intro

AbstractWar 2.0 is a fast paced top-down shooter where you try and survive the level, without hitting an enemy.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Cruces mode

The gameplay is fantastic. There are two game modes: Campaign and Survival. Campaign includes 24 increasingly difficult levels. Each has a different combination of enemies that adds a new twist and strategy to the gameplay, and with 10 unique enemies, there is certainly enough to keep the gameplay varied. All enemies take one bullet to kill, but it is their characteristics that set them apart. This works very well as you feel the satisfaction of obliterating the enemy with rapid fire, and also enables loads of enemies on screen, without it being overly hard.

The difficulty level is very challenging, yet has a few easy levels to get the player started. Each level adds a new dimension to the gameplay. Even when you thought you had mastered the game, you are confronted by a harder foe. A good thing is that you are given two lives at the beginning, so when you die the first time you have a burning determination to not die the second. You can collect power-ups such as additional levels amongst the neon inferno. Others include a ship that joins the battle with you and only goes when it gets hit by an enemy, and a vast array of weapon upgrades (such as guided missiles and boing bullets).

Defeat tactical enemies

I did find, however, that your ship moves a bit too slow, and you can hardly outrun enemies while in tilt controls. This makes it frustrating when you are being chased by an enemy and have to turn round to shoot the enemy which you can’t do as you end up running into them (only in mono-control – explained later in control section). Also, when you hit an enemy, it explodes in a flash of light. This is good for a graphical effect, but when there is a swarm of enemies and you shoot some. The rest are obscured by the flash of light given off by the destroyed enemies, meaning that you will sometimes run into them and die.

The survival is playable as multiplayer (over bluetooth) or single player. There are four different survival modes: Normal (Dual Controls), Normal (Mono control), Cruces mode and Pacifist mode. Normal (Dual Controls) is as you would expect a dual stick control. Normal (Mono control) is the game mode, but with a different controls. These normally consist of tilt control or just one joy stick. Mono control is where your ship fires in the direction you are facing. Cruces mode consists of more of a pattern spawn where certain enemies move across the screen in a line, or down the screen (sort of reminds me of the red dots from Tilt To Live). Pacifist mode involves no shooting. Rather, a number of bombs are placed around the map which when you run into then, destroy all enemies in your vicinity. This is a unique twist on the normal survival game, and makes you swerve your way around enemies to collect a bomb. Each survival mode gets gradually harder over time, and your ship also gets better over time (like two gun turrets instead of one). Overall the survival modes are excellent and offers a vast array of gameplay types depending on how you are feeling.

Graphics

Vibrant colour makes for some spectacular gameplay

The graphics are vibrant and colourful and take inspiration from games such as Isotope and geoFighter. There are four types of view options: 3D, 2D (Centre), 2D (Edge) and Classic. 3D is where you take perspective from the centre, and as you move away, the whole map tilts sideways. 2D (Centre) is where you have top down view of your ship and the screen tracks where you move. 2D (Edge) is basically 2D (Centre) but the screen stops when it gets to the edge. Classic puts the whole map in view, rather than having it zoomed in on your ship. My preferred option is 2D (centre), but every person will be different, and all options work well in their unique way.

I have experienced no lag, even in intense battles. Furthermore, the loading time is very quick and the wait is minute.

Controls 10/10

There are two types of control schemes in AbstractWar 2.0: mono control and dual control. These two types of controls vary in each campaign level, for example one level will be mono and the next will be dual. Mono means that wherever you are facing, you are shooting. Dual means that you control where you shoot, meaning you can shoot and move in different directions. This keeps the gameplay unpredictable, and you cannot just settle into a routine while you play.

In the options you have choices on how single and dual are set. For mono there is tilt and D-Pad. Tilt is just the simple tilt where you want to go. This is a bit unresponsive, and I sometimes have to resort to tilting the iPhone/iPod Touch 80˚ to get away from the enemies. D-Pad is one toggle stick that controls which way you move and shoot. Dual options are D-Pad, Mixed and Touch. D-Pad is the normal dual stick controls. Mixed is tilt controls with a toggle stick to shoot. Touch is tilt controls and you touch in the direction you want to fire. All these options work very well, and every player will find their preferred option.

A variety of enemies

Sound 9/10

The sound effects are good, and each enemy has a different tone when they die. This keeps the sound non-repetitive. Unfortunately there is no theme music, but this is compensated by the fact that you can choose the music from your playlist on your phone in-game, which is superb! However, a small tone when selecting options in the menu would be appreciated.

Menus

Menus are very well presented with a simple picture to illustrate what the option represents, with a small caption underneath. This makes for fast navigation as you quickly select what you want from the pictures, rather than reading the text.

Also, a gameplay video is playing in the background, which makes the menus interesting and colourful, but doesn’t detract you from the information on screen. I sometimes find myself just watching the gameplay to see how it goes.

Good, easy to use menu system

Longevity 10/10

AbstractWar 2.0 has brilliant longevity. It has OpenFeint integration so you can upload high scores from the survival mode. Also, there are achievements that can be obtained§, which is good. Overall, the scope of gameplay that Abstract War 2.0 offers is astonishing and you certainly won’t be finishing this anytime soon. I honestly can’t predict how long you will be playing this (over 9 hours), but I can assure you it will be a firm placement on your iPhone or iPod Touch for a long time.

Price 10/10

$0.99/£0.59 is an absolute bargain for all the great gameplay in return. Get it now while it is so cheap!

Conclusion 68/70 – 5/5

The amount of customisation, game modes and polish makes this an outstanding game and I would truly recommend this to everyone! All I can say is kudos to the 15 year old developer, you did a great job.

AbstractWar 2.0 on the App Store.