Burn the City Review

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Burn the City Review

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Burn the City Review

By Jason Wadsworth on July 13th, 2011
Our Rating:

:: SIZZLING HOT
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

The gameplay might see familiar, but the experience is literally on fire.

Developer: JoshOClock

Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 3GS

Graphics / Sound Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

At first glance, many might assume that Burn the City is just another uninspired homage to the mobile gaming monolith that is Angry Birds. However, after just a few minutes with the game it should be clear that there is more to Burn the City than just some familiar physics-based gameplay.

In Burn the City, the goal is to do just that — burn any and every city found in each stage. This is accomplished by means of a giant, green, fire spitting monster. By touching the monster and dragging away from it, players set the direction and force of each shot of hot, fiery bit of spittle. Using these superheated spitballs, players have to crush, smash, scorch, burn, and otherwise decimate every building in each level’s city. Throughout some of the cities there are other forces of destruction that can be unleashed, such as explosive power plants and crushing boulders. It’s a treat to aim a fireball at one of these items and watch as buildings explode or topple en masse.

Scattered among the levels there are also several different types of power-ups that change the power or trajectory of the monster’s shots. The powers aren’t just for show, though. They are often the difference between failing a level and getting a gold rating on a level. It is incredibly satisfying to launch these powerful shots and flatten building after building. The variation of power-ups and level design brings a very puzzle-like quality to many of the levels. It’s not just about flinging fire at buildings, but using the power-ups and the environment in clever ways to finish each level as quickly as possible.

Burn the City is an absolute delight to play, and players will find the destruction satisfying and consistent from level to level. The game’s art is simple yet superb. The monster is expressive and a real character in the game, not just an avatar. The environments are well crafted, and the animation of the fire is ingeniously executed in a way that maximizes both visual effect and processing efficiency. Put the fire extinguisher away because this city burns so good!