Into The Blue Review

Our rating:

By: 2D Rockers

Version #: 1.11

Date Released:

Developer:

Price: 2.99

User Rating:

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Hybrid genre games are difficult. When you try and mix different game types you either end up with a an amazing game, or an utter failure. The balancing of the gameplay is harder because there is no expectations to start with. Knowing how much of each genre to add in also poses a problem. This is a problems 2D Rockers had headed full steam into with their newest release; Into the Blue.

While the game’s name may sound like a sedate Moby song, the gameplay is anything but. To describe the gameplay would be to sound like a description of someone’s iPhone game folder. Base defense, resource management, flight control, RTS, arcade shooter, the list goes on. At its simplest, Into The Blue is a base defense game. You are in command of a cannon that must hold off the onslaught by an unknown alien attacker know as the pink. You touch the screen to move your gun’s cannon in the direction of the enemy. You base isn’t the only thing they aim to destroy though. You have harvester ships that are in charge of mining and then delivering crystals from fields that appear in various areas of the screen. The pink ships will go after these ships quickly so you have to be on your toes. Why would you want to harvest crystals instead of hold up in your base? well the crystals can be used to upgrade your gun, and buy power-ups for your base. You can also build more ships and turrets that will auto fire at enemies. In later levels this is critical to your survival.

Into the Blue consists of eight levels and then two endless modes. There is three difficulty levels, but the initial eight levels are really more of a long tutorial as they introduce ascents of the game as the levels progress. this makes learning the game easy, but the scenarios are too easy and you find yourself left with just the endless modes. There are been many complaints on the app store about the short gameplay, and I have to concur that the game was easily beaten on even the most difficult level far too quickly and the the endless modes, while fun, don’t really hold water for this game. The concept of Into The Blue is sound, and the graphics, while reminding me of Blue Defense/Attack, but with less fluorescence, are nice enough. It seems that the developer has really found a fun game, but badly need to update their app to increase the content or else they risks falling through the cracks in the app store and becoming one of those forgotten games. At it’s best, Into The Blue is a frantic game that has a good balance of resource management and fast action, but it’s severe lack of content drags it down. It is currently on sale for $.99 and there is also a lite version that I highly recommend you try. At that price it may be worth it to enjoy what is there and take the chance that more may come in the future.

We rate this app 3.5 out of 5 stars.