Infinity Blade [iOS] Neverwinter Edition

*Changes have been made, in accordance to the Deathless Kings update. The scores are still the same.

Evading the Executioner's colossal weapon, you begin to make your final move. After taking in your final bar of health and after witnessing the beautifully rendered foe, you deal a magnificent blow to the side. Your maneuverability has paid off, and you thrust that mighty sword into the behemoth's bowels. It is over.

Preview

Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment have teamed up to give you the world of Infinity Blade, a fantastic universe filled with noble heroes, twisted enemies, and a whole new adventure for you to take part in. In the game, exclusive to Apple's iOS devices, you play the role of a young Hero, destined to retrieve the Infinity Blade from the God King's wicked hands and restore order to the tyranny and chaos the said king has created. Battling the God King, as you may have guessed, is not an easy walk in the park. You will face many creatures, including the Deathless Kings, who will stop at nothing to make sure you never reach the God King's throne room. But, is Infinity Blade one epic tale to remember, or another cheap cash-in? Read on to find out!

Presentation

One look at Infinity Blade, and you can immediately notice how pretty it is. So gorgeous, in fact, that it wouldn't be uncommon to mistake it for current generation console graphics on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Everything seems to have a cinematic quality put into place. The voice acting is solid, character models look fantastic, and it all makes this the undisputed king of the hill when it comes to mobile graphics. Nevertheless, the game has it's flaws. For one thing, when the camera gets up close with the characters, you begin to notice muddy, blurry textures in the midst of all this beauty. Framerates also tend to chop up in the middle combat, almost as if the duel was in slow-motion; however, it's not a huge issue, just something to point out. Besides all this, this is the prettiest iOS game to date, and its graphics are a technical marvel that deserve to go down into mobile gaming history.

Some time ago, Epic showed off a tech demo previewing the graphical capabilities of the Unreal Engine 3 on the iPhone. That demo was Epic Citadel, a free precursor to Infinity Blade. In that demo, we were able to explore through a circus bazaar, walk through a temple, and gaze around the village. I, myself, was amazed at the possibilities for the actual game. Was this the game that would become as long as console gaming, and totally redefine what we know about mobile games. Unfortunately, I became very disappointed at the fruit of ChAIR's efforts.

Infinity Blade puts you on a set path: the castle. The developers really threw away norms of RPG's, as well as what could've been a deep, rich console-quality experience. Is there a detailed story in the game? No. What about memorable characters? Nuh-uh. Is there any emotion brought about by the gameplay or story? Nope. Hidden areas? Not a chance. Unlockables? Zero. Towns? Not gonna happen. Exploration? You wish. DLC? Yep, but it's all currency you can use to buy stuff from the upgrade panel. Basically, Infinity Blade can be described like this:


Without that key element (exploration), Infinity Blade has limited itself to a very narrow experience. It's like walking through a hallway in a beautiful art museum, with portraits and paintings hanging across the walls. Unfortunately, you're supposed to be at least 3 feet away from the paintings, you're not allowed to know more about the artist, and you're not allowed to get any souvenirs at the end. That's right...no candy for the kids in the back.

Another thing to notice is that there are only two paths you can take, but both merge into one later in the game. After you beat the first two bosses on a new bloodline, you have the choice of either entering the Dark Citadel or going through the Dungeon. However, if you enter the castle, there is no way of going back to where you were, except the Dungeon.


In the game, You defeat enemy after enemy until you reach the God King. If you beat him, you win the game. If you lose (which is more likely), you have to restart the entire thing all over again with the same powers, armor, etc. Don't think the God King is like any other final boss. His difficulty spike is supernatural, and will take you several bloodlines to defeat him. And if that wasn't bad enough, all of the enemies are tougher, by a substantial degree, with new armor, new moves, and new ways to defeat you.

Luckily, for what Infinity Blade lacks in gameplay, it (attempts) to make up in combat. Similar to Mike Tyson's Punch Out!, battling an enemy takes skill, precision, and timing. Swinging your sword like a monkey on fire isn't going to do much good. You will either have to duck or parry when an enemy strikes; the former being the easier one. Parrying takes practice, but when mastered, it is oh-too satisfying. You can also use Rings which will grant you magical powers to either stun or damage an opponent, but it's going to take some getting used to before you use it to its full potential.

Upgrading is also simple and painless. The only problem I came across was deciding which helmet I should wear. Purchasing items wasn't complex, and everything just worked as it should be.

Graphics aren't everything, and Infinity Blade further justifies that statement.

Gameplay: 7.75/10

Verdict

Infinity Blade is one epic adventure, and arguably one of the best mobile games of all time...but it's not perfect. From the graphics to the combat, Infinity Blade has left its mark on the App Store, and yet it still has flaws. In some cases, said flaws are enough to become dealbreakers for some. For most, it shouldn't become too much of a problem. With that said, get the game. You will not regret it. It's a masterpiece for both Epic and ChAIR, and a new adventure for you.

Overall: 9/10