EPOCH.2 Review – Better, much better!
App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: Uppercut Games Pty Ltd
Version #: 1.0
Date Released: 2013-11-16
Developer: EPOCH.2 Support
Price: $2.99
User Rating:
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We are all familiar with the EPOCH. game released a couple of years back, bringing one of the finest graphics at that time and boasting a control system expected to become a milestone in touch gaming. Though not as revolutionary as speculated, it was a huge hit, even earning some imitators like Frontline Commando. Uppercut Games had teased its sequel back in July and finally, after 3 long months, EPOCH. 2 is here.
The world is no more!
The storyline is unchanged from EPOCH. as you have the ultimate Robocop stranded in the post-apocalyptic era. Your princess has been cryopreserved (cryo-slept) for years and her brain is holographically projected to talk with you. Intense, huh? Protecting and reviving her are your primary objectives. Powercores are required to bring her back and you go hunting in the field to find them. That is of course, when the bad guys pop up.
Hide and Shoot!
Though a little more polished and graphically fortified, the basic gameplay remains the same in EPOCH 2. In this RPG, you adopt a ‘swipe and tap’ gameplay rather than the FPS or dual stick controls.
You’ve three covers to hide from the terminators and you can swipe left or right to swap between them. Swipe up or down to come out or go into cover, respectively. Tap a tin-man to lock target on him and your trusty rifle automatically showers its bullets on him. In addition to the automated Gun, you also have some Bombs, a Missile and some Sands of Time to slow down the moment.
The addition of some new gestures makes the experience more immersive and thrilling. While in cover, swipe down to Reload and swipe down again when the bar hits white to get an ‘instant reload’. While out of cover, swipe up to Hover in the air or Jump & Hang from the ceiling or to swap between extremities, based on the map. This move is particularly important when you’ve lasers, time-bombs and mines advancing towards your position and you’ve nowhere else to go. One of my favorites is the Take-down option, where some week robots show a white circle on them and on tapping, you pounce to the location and get over with him in a snap!
The opposition isn’t that week either. You’ve shooting robots, take-down wrestlers, hovering electricutioners, laser-emitting soldiers, marching mines, ticking time-bombs, resurrecting zombie bots and much more. But most of them are easy to pass through and the boss fights are the only ones that are likely to tickle a sweat out of your forehead. Each of them have a unique, swift and repetitive nature of moves and once you crack the pattern, its a piece of cake.
The villains come in waves and once an area is cleared, you proceed to the next via a cut scene and so on. Fails don’t matter as you can restart from the last Checkpoint but would be a little annoying sometimes, if you’ve progressed too much into a level. Thankfully, the boss fights, where you’re bound to die often, have separate checkpoints! Go on till you eliminate all the crude iron in your vicinity and collect the power core to finish each level.
Outside the playzone
The graphics are not too bad, but not so good either. We’ve seen better at lower tags and think that they could’ve done better with the massive Unreal Engine. The sound effects are great and so are the background tracks. The controls are unique and intuitive, but takes some time to get used. But once you’ve got some practice, its golden!
We’ve always disliked in-App Stores in over-5-dollar games and EPOCH.2 is not escaping with that. Newer guns, armour, bombs, missiles and double credits are the specials in the menu. But in many such games, we see that the purchases are not really necessary for a smooth play. But here, things get tight really fast and you either need to replay some older levels or shed some money.
Talking about replayability, EPOCH 2 has integrated two extra modes with each level- one is the time-trial while the other is the hard mode. And if you’re sticking to finishing all modes in each level, you wouldn’t have any problems with the upgrade money but it gets really boring and repetitive.
The verdict
On starting EPOCH 2, you’ll instantly find it familiar, but will also notice that it is new, different and improved. Alot of limitations in the first one like repetivity, poor replayability and lack of dynamics have been resolved marvelously by the developers. I got this game for 6 bucks and thought that it wasn’t worth the tag but now that the price is halved, it is surely worth considering.
So, this is the take-away. If you didn’t like the original game and are looking for a new theme or gameplay, you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re an EPOCH fan or you haven’t played the game before, this is surely the best time to get EPOCH.2
Tips
- Practice the ‘Fast reload’ as it is the easiest and most effective way to pass tight levels.
- Try not to sell stuff as older weapons may be required in future levels.
- Dodge mines and lasers with timed hovering acts.
- Time bombs pitch on your position and bounce off to the other positions. So don’t panic and stay where you are.
- Prefer continuous damaging weapons.
- Sacrifice some lives in boss fights to sketch their pattern of attack.
- Hovering missiles are the best way to eliminate hidden enemies.
Quick Take
Value:High
Would I Buy Again:Yes
Learning Curve:Not too hard
Who Is It For:Those who want the best action on touch screens
What I Like:The improved gestures
What I Don't Like:In-app purchases
Final Statement:Save the princess
action *** Editor's Choice On The App Store ***
The epic saga of post-apocalyptic robot combat continues!
EPOCH has trekked across a war-ravaged country to find the one person he was programmed to protect: the Princess, Amelia. Now he must follow a final, desperate lead to reach her, with the two warring robot armies of Omegatroniks and Alphetekk standing in his way. But what surprises await EPOCH when the Princess is finally located? And what will she make of the world she wakes up to?
CHOREOGRAPH THE ACTION
Control your character with intuitive finger swipes designed specifically for touch-screens. Make split-second tactical decisions, take cover, select targets, dodge incoming fire, utilize special abilities, and launch countermeasures!
UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY
Follow the story of humanity's downfall, and their final hope for salvation as you discover the truth about the Princess and what she really means to the future of this world. And who is the new interloper that has decided that EPOCH must be stopped at any cost?
A BEAUTIFULLY DESOLATE WORLD
Explore whole new areas across a post-apocalyptic landscape; the crackling desert of the mysteriously drained harbors, the whistling desolation of abandoned spaceports and the clamorous factories that continue to manufacture their robotic wares.
DESTROY, SALVAGE AND UPGRADE
Battle escalating waves of robots and bosses in arena-style combat, and upgrade yourself with pieces scavenged from the ruins! Configure your robot with dozens of weapons, armors, boosters and counters.
NEW WAYS TO PLAY
New weapons, items and features expand your arsenal and give you new strategies to employ. Equip your Weakening Grenades, risk a Fast Reload for bonus damage, or head-shot an enemy robot with your Sniper Rifle? New levels extend and expand EPOCH's ability to fight, move and dodge. New Play Modes provide tougher challenges for the elite EPOCH player.
ENGAGING STORY
Help the Princess find her bearings in a world that has left her behind. Gather fragments of the past with logs from a cast of characters, each with their own perspective on the apocalyptic events that destroyed a once-proud civilization.
STUNNING AAA VISUALS
Powered by the latest version of Unreal Engine 3 - as used by Infinity Blade 3 - EPOCH.2 pushes the limits of the enhanced visual capabilities of the latest iOS devices, delivering spectacular new enemies, completely revamped models and the most amazingly-realised human character on mobile!
EPOCH.2 is optimized for iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Air, iPad Mini, iPad 4, iPad 3, iPad 2, and iPod Touch 5. NOT compatible with iPhone4, iPod Touch 4th Gen, iPhone 3GS or iPad 1.
Screenshots
Article By Roshan
From the first iPod Touch till the new iPad Mini, Roshan has loved each of his iDevices and has been busy tweaking and getting the most out of them. As a Med student from India, he splits his time between studying corpse and writing about his iOS passion. When not on the web, you could find him glued to TV Shows, movies or the bed! Recently, he has taken upon the role of an appreneur and is currently working on a revolutionary new app, Cyan for Facebook.
roshan has written 204 awesome app reviews.
