Similar (onscreen) units can automatically selected with a simple double-tap, while selecting a mix of different units can be done by using two finger to ‘draw’ a selection box (hint: you can also select them by using two fingers to simultaneously select the top and bottom corners of your virtual ‘box’). There’s also a mini-map you can toggle on or off in a corner of the screen that lets you quickly jump around the map by tapping it, and you can even adjust your zoom in/out level with a handy slider. They also did a good job of making crucial menus and options as unobtrusive and keeping them out of the way while playing, as many of the buttons can be minimized into tabs to reduce screen clutter and reactivated later when you need them. Everything is controlled though a series of taps, double-taps, and the occasional two-finger drag, which simulates the mouse action of selecting specific multiple units. Fear not, as StarFront takes full advantage of touch controls to provide the best non-PC RTS interface I’ve ever played with. ![]() You’re probably curious how Gameloft was able to translate such a complex RTS interface to the iPhone’s smaller screen, and how playable it could possibly be. Future RTS games could definitely stand to learn from this. While these changes most likely stems from the game’s portable nature and need for faster, speedier sessions (and Gameloft probably not wanting to duplicate Blizzard’s enormous development budget), it works well in practice. Sending multiple worker drones to collect definitely makes managing resources simpler, though I wish Gameloft would have opted for a full upgrade path for some buildings (like resource depots) that spread upgraded features across all of your future buildings, but it’s a small gripe in a hierarchy that’s remarkably well thought out.īuilding and managing non-resources is fairly straightforward as well, as the game follows the standard RTS pattern of progressively more powerful units (soldiers, vehicles, upgrades, etc.) by constructing the right buildings to enable better tech. Resources are limited to Xenodium and Energy, which can be collected by building collection depots on top of meteor craters and pillars. I also really enjoyed the simplified economy / building aspects and interface, as many of the most crucial task are largely automated in ways that suit a fast-paced mobile RTS. As such, there’s no need to worry about tactical advantages that much here. Speaking of races, they include the humanoid Consortium (Terran), the insect-like Myriad (Zerg), and the robotic Warden (Protoss), although all three play suspiciously similar to one another and don’t feature the minute complexity of StarCraft’s famous trio (then again, they also don’t require you to purchase three different versions of the game for entry). While StarFront does a good job cloning StarCraft’s most important features, its actually better than Blizzard’s game in certain areas, such as the ability to play all three races across the game’s 18-level single-player campaign. Even the attempt to introduce main characters and ‘heroes’ into the mix falls a bit flat, but you’ll hardly notice while managing dozens of units while trying to build up – and defend – your growing empire. While the game does present a somewhat competent storyline about three competing races trying to control resources on the planet Sinistral, its nothing more than a pretense for some entertaining real-time strategic action on the go. ![]() From the trio of races to the character design to even the individual units’ (often hilarious) dialogue, the game screams Starcraft. This is where Gameloft comes in, and this is what Gameloft does better than anyone.Īnd there’s just no getting around that fact. With the lack of any serious RTS game on Apple’s mobile platform, I’m surprised that it’s taken this long for any company to fill the void, and I don’t imagine that we’ll be seeing a micro-version of the game coming from Blizzard coming anytime soon. With Gameloft’s serendipitous release schedules that seem to follow soon after their major-release inspirations, it only makes sense they’d want to capitalize off Blizzard’s best-selling sequel, StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty. The answer would be, for the most part, yes, although that’s not entirely a bad thing. Before we dive into the full review for Gameloft’s StarFront: Collision for iOS, let’s get the most obvious question out of the way first: is it a clone of StarCraft 2.
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