Intro

Helsing’s Fire is an innovative puzzle game involving an original concept and alternative music and art style. You play as Professor Helsing along-side his trusty companion, Rufton. You have to make your way to the Shadow Blight to find and sort out Count Dracula, but beware, you will be up against a slew of blood-thirsty beasts and ghouls.

Gameplay 9/10

The concept of the game is one like no other. When you start a level you are presented with a scattering of buildings/blocks with many enemies dispersed between them. Your goal is to eliminate these monsters by using a flame torch and colored tonics. When you place the torch the light emitting from the flame spreads out and creates shadows where the buildings are placed. Once you activate a tonic a colored wave will disperse and affect all lightened area, either destroying a monster of the same color, or alternatively adding a shield to enemies of a different color. The challenge is then to find the right combination of limited tonics and placements of the torch to defeat every monster on the map. On harder levels monsters are protected by numerous colored shields which makes the puzzle aspect of the game shine.

As you progress through the game you encounter all sorts of devilish demons that react in different ways. For example the bat, once hit by a tonic blast, flies off and moves to a different location, whereas the werewolf, once killed, turns into a human being which you must avoid from then on. Although I am not such a fan of beasts which fire objects at you and attack your torch, the numerous enemies provide varied challenges and keeps the game enjoyable.

I found the game extremely easy at the start and being a puzzle enthusiast, I was able to breeze through the first batch very quickly on Normal. Thankfully I found a difficulty selection menu and after setting it to Hard, I found the challenges got significantly trickier. It is comforting to know that this game is well suited to even the novelists of puzzle games, and the game eased me gently into the innovative gameplay, introducing me to added elements. Nonetheless, I sometimes found the game was a bit inconsistent in its difficulty with some levels being completed in less than a minute whereas others I had to spend a bit more time on.

Other than the 90 levels in the game, there is also a Survival Mode where you go through waves upon waves of random levels. However, in this mode you are timed and if you don’t work out the puzzle in the time limit then you lose. You set the time limit you are given before each wave from gaining points from previous waves. For example, if you set the limit very high for one wave, you will be more restricted the next time round. This mode didn’t sit well with me as I hate being under-pressure in puzzle games, but still offers an alternative for other gamers.

Overall I found the gameplay incredibly addictive, not just because of the innovative concept, but the puzzles are brilliant and I couldn’t help myself but play ‘just one more level’.

Graphics 10/10

The gothic style is excellently executed. The attention to detail is astonishing and I love the awesome knuckle bash or high-five animation when you complete a level. The enemies are simple but effective, and the the torch light is very well executed.

The game ran extremely smoothly on my iPhone and I experienced no crashes or frame-rate issues.

Overall the graphics remain original and impressive. It is great to see a new style of art work, besides the casual Doodle trend which has become so popular nowadays.

Controls 10/10

The controls work comfortably with the iPhones touch screen. Positioning and moving the torch is simple and still included a good level of precision which I has been a problem in other games where when lifting the finger moves the object slightly. However, sometimes it took a while to place the torch exactly where I wanted it but it didn’t become frustrating.

Sound 9/10

The music is excellent and expertly matches the overall theme of the game. I often found myself humming or tapping the catchy tune.

The sound effects are few and could have been more detailed but the distinguishable music certainly makes up for this.

Menus 9/10

When you load the game, you start on the level select menu which is good as you can quickly start from where you left off. The main menu is very simple and the only use for them is to access Survival Mode and Crystal.

The menus are well designed, but could have incorporated more detail. Nevertheless, they still retain an element of simplicity that I like. The options are easy to select and responsive.

Longevity 9/10

The 90 levels included in the game are substantial if set to the appropriate difficulty level, and with Survival mode thrown in, Helsing’s Fire has a load of replayabilty. Survival mode allows you to rank in the leaderboards, and there are also achievements to gain through Crystal.

Overall, the longevity of Helsing’s Fire is long, but after you have completed all levels (which will take some time) that’s about all you are going to get. However, it is adequate enough for the price.

Cost 10/10

At a cool $0.99/£0.59, there is no doubting Helising’s Fire is good value for money.

Conclusion 66/70 – 5/5

Helsing’s Fire breaths new life into the App Store with its innovative concept and stunning polish, definitely one to pick up.

Helsing’s Fire on the App Store.