iPhone and iPod Touch Games Round-up 2

Low Grav Racer

Developer: Cobra Mobile
Price (as reviewed): $1.99 / £1.19 from the AppStore

We’re sorry to again keep with the comparisons to old games on different platforms, but Low Grav Racer is basically the same as WipeOut. Or it tries to be, at least.

In reality, while Low Grav Racer seems to be making all the right moves, the final product just doesn’t reach the same level of fast-pace brilliance as the rather obvious inspiration. Just because it’s got a load of futuristic space ships shooting along just above a bunch of twisted tracks that are littered with flashing lights doesn’t mean that it’s a worthy tribute to the most breakneck of sci-fi racers.

As is often the problem with the iPhone platform, the problem comes down to the controls in the end, with Low Grav Racer using the tilt sensors of the iPhone to control steering. It’s something a lot of racing games on the iPhone have tried and, to be utterly frank, it’s a system we’ve yet to see work all that well. If you don’t have a problem with constantly having to readjust your view of the screen then you’ll likely take issue with the fact that the game isn’t really playable in a lot of out-and-about situations. Trying to play this on the bus or train would be impossible, for example.


Nor are the graphics for the game particularly amazing either, with a lot of the levels restricting the view distance heavily so that you can’t really make effective use of the missile and mine power-ups even when you can pick them up successfully. It doesn’t exactly make it easy to navigate the rather bland tracks either.

A lot of this could be compensated for if Low Grav Racer managed to emulate the fantastic techno soundtrack of Wipeout at all, but it’s a failure on that front too. In the end what gamers are left with is a just another generic iPhone racing game, though this one fails to capture either the furious pace, delicate controls or stunning visuals that we’d hope for in a sci-fi racer.

Verdict: Frankly, there are much better iPhone racing games out there and we can’t think of a reason someone would choose Low Grav Racer over any of the more quality titles.

Siberian Strike

Developer: Gameloft
Price (as reviewed): $0.99 / £0.59 from the AppStore

Classically styled shoot 'em-ups aren’t as popular in America and Europe as they are abroad and, if we’re honest, we were a touch hesitant to look at Siberian Strike because of this bias – the genre just doesn’t appeal to us that much. Still, we’re definitely glad we gave Gameloft’s retro shooter the benefit of the doubt as it’s a actually an unbelievably polished and fun game.

Exchanging the usual sci-fi tropes of the genre for a WW2-influenced selection of biplanes and spitfire-alikes, Siberian Strike is otherwise exactly what you’d expect from a classic up-scrolling shooter. You start off with a selection of different planes and characters, then launch into battle against a Russian foe that attacks your lone aeronaut in swathes. Swathes of swathes, actually. Possibly more than that – there are thousands of them to one of you and they aren’t afraid to come all at once, firing all lasers.

Despite the mammoth assault that is launched against you, the gameplay and frame rate never deviate from their solid beginings. Graphically Siberian Strike is an incredibly strong title, with slick cartoon caricatures, 3D models for cutscenes and a mixture of different techniques in the actual gameplay. Enemies don’t just flock from the top of the screen but can shoot in from the sides or even rise from behind or beneath you and the bosses are both multi-layered and challenging.

Aside from the usual campaign mode, which is littered with different power-ups and abilities for you to collect, there’s also a decent multiplayer and freeplay option too if you’re worried about replayability. Both of these seemed fairly solid, though naturally we can think of better things to pressure your friends into playing with you.

Verdict: Not only is Siberian Strike a beautiful and quick game to play, but it’s also excellently balanced and the gameplay never devolves into some insanely difficult exercise in bullet dodging – a very recommended game!

That's all we have time for this month, but if you've got some favourite games of your own or want to request a review of a specific title then just let us know in the forums - or you could check out our past iPhone and iPod Touch games round-up for more iPhone game reviews.