I’ve always been a fan of platformer games. Their simple objective of getting from landing to landing makes for a good time when properly done. That’s why – due to the lack of physical controls on the device – I’ve always thought that finding a really good platformer on the iOS would be a difficult task, so I set about trying a few until I stumbled across a little game called Swordigo.
Swordigo is a fun little platformer that merges RPG and dungeon crawler elements into it as well, making it a pretty robust experience for its $1.99 price tag. In it you play as the age old stereotypical protagonist, who is thrust into a world of magic and deception after your mentor is killed. Your goal: to find the ultimate weapon capable of destroying the monsters that committed the vile act.
The art style in the game is pretty nice, with multi-dimensional backgrounds moving at different speeds, giving you the feeling of a really deep and luscious world. In true RPG style, here is an experience points system that levels you up as you defeat enemies. You gain currency that you spend to upgrade weapons and buy potions and items. Battles are real time, 2-D hack and slash style, and enemies are creative. There are flying bats that swoop down and knock you backwards (which sucks in a platformer as you are often knocked backwards off a ledge). When you attack a monster, their name and life bar appear at the top of the screen. This is important because there are mini boss fights everywhere, and you only know it by the name that appears when you attack it. Half the fun is fighting everything to see if you’ve found a boss hiding in plain sight!
The story, although unoriginal, has some good conversations and the characters usually have something to say when you walk by them. But what really sets this game apart from the majority of other platformers is the controls. The iOS platform isn’t exactly known for its amazing virtual controls. In Swordigo, you only have 3 options: left, right and jump. Your attack and magic spell buttons are just above those, and that’s it! They are a perfect size, and not intrusive to the game screen itself. The controls are really responsive, and you always feel like you have the exact amount of control needed. I found that when I died from falling off a ledge or from a monster that it was actually MY fault, and not that of faulty controls. Attacking enemies and dodging projectiles feels really good, they really nailed the controls in this one.
All in all, if you’re looking for a great platformer on the iOS, definately try Swordigo, you won’t be disappointed!
