Gameplay in Heavy Mach 2 consists of taking various missions that seem to either have you killing things or collecting things, going out in to the battlefield to fight with your tank and returning with your spoils. As you earn credits and experience by defeating other tanks and completing missions, you can eventually buy tons of weaponry and different upgrades to your tank as you level up.

My favorite part of this game is how well the controls work. While the developers could have easily just used a typical virtual dual-stick control scheme, instead everything is done using different taps and drawing gestures on screen. To move your tank you can either tap on the battlefield, or you can draw a line with your finger for the tank to follow. Your tank will try to follow the exact course you plotted, so it will often get stuck if you try to make it cut corners or drive places it can’t. This is easily solved by just tapping or drawing on the screen to move somewhere else.

Attacking enemies is as simple as tapping on them, and letting your weapons do the rest. Tapping on screen twice causes your tank to dash in that direction. There are buttons framing the screen to use special abilities (such as calling in air strikes) and changing weapons once you get more than the starting load out. The interface as well as the different tanks themselves and the terrain are extremely detailed, and the animations are great– Much like the original.

The only thing that really seems to be missing in Heavy Mach 2 is any kind of plot to follow. The highly detailed scenery does a great job of setting the futuristic war-torn the mood of the game, and I just can’t help but wonder why you’re just randomly taking missions to destroy things. Maybe that’s just me.

Heavy Mach 2 combines the RPG elements of an experience and leveling system along with seemingly endless equipment upgrade and customization options. The controls work well, and I’ve had a great time rampaging through the countryside blowing up every tank I come across. While the original Heavy Mach was a great sidescroller, the sequel has translated well to the overhead view along with improving nearly everything from the first game. If you’re a fan of tank combat, you really should give Heavy Mach 2 a shot.

App Store Link: Heavy Mach 2, .99

The post Review: Heavy Mach 2 appeared first on AppTrawler.

Lately, it’s become quite popular amongst App Store developers to do ports of web-based flash games for the iPhone, and Chrome Wars Arena [App Store], playable here on Kongregate, is a continuation of that trend. Chrome Wars, which is described by developers Jaludo Group B.V. as a turn-based fighting game, has deep roots in the RPG genre. Its biggest appeal lies in its upgrade/level up system that allows players to improve and customize their bots as they battle their way through the 50 challengers in the “Chrome Wars Tournament.”

After creating a custom bot, players will be begin a path that will take them through six arenas to battle their way (one enemy at a time) to the top. Each victory will earn your robot money and five skill points to spend on increasing total health, attack power, speed, etc. Losing a fight will provide a player with a bit of cash as well, so if players get stuck in a rut, they can always use that spare cash to buy any number of upgraded parts from the well-stocked in-game shop to tilt the odds in their favor.

One word of warning that I should probably give to those interested in the game is that you’ll definitely need a comprehensive strategy when distributing those skill points. I spent many of the initial 20 points that come with new robots on upgrading my speed stat, and that really came back to bite me in the butt later when I had barely upgraded my health (called “grit” in the upgrade menu) or power. My robot’s attacks were lightning fast but packed about as much punch as my grandma’s left hook, so I wasn’t very successful in most fights.

When not working their way through the 50 baddies in the arena mode of Chrome Wars, players can take the fight online against random opponents. It’s best to fully complete the game’s arena mode first (thereby getting all the upgrades you can) if you’d like to have any chance of success online, but it’s also possible to play against people you know, if that tickles your fancy.

Fights in Chrome Wars Arena work pretty much exactly like they do in the flash version (albeit with some UI modifications so the game fits the device better), so if you’d like to check out the game for yourself, try it on Kongregate.com first. Slower-paced RPGs like Chrome Wars Arena aren’t for everyone, but plenty of people (myself included) can appreciate some good old fashioned turn-based battles, so you don’t have anything to lose by at least giving the game a shot and trying out that free flash version.

App Store Link: Chrome Wars Arena, .99

The post Review: Chrome Wars Arena appeared first on AppTrawler.