Bladeslinger (Android) Preview

Critics that think smart phone graphics cannot compete with PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS have yet to see Bladeslinger. Announced less than 24 hours ago, this phenomenal looking title drips with detail, instantly making it one of the App Store's most promising games, at least from a visual standpoint.

Powered by the impressive Unity game engine, Bladeslinger is a third person action brawler set in an alternate version of the Wild West, but somehow even more dangerous.
You'll play as William Glaston, a cowboy hat wearing veteran that returns home to Hammer's Peak after serving in some yet to be revealed war, only to discover an evil presence has taken over the entire town.
With monsters running amok, Glaston sets off through the infected city to set things right, even if it means cracking some mutant skulls along the way.
The game appears to be a mix of ranged and melee combat, as Glaston blasts enemies with a shotgun, tenderizes them with some sort of sharp weapon and finishes creatures off with magic attacks that task players with tracing patterns along the touch screen.

That said, the teaser video only showcases one on one fighting, so it remains to be seen whether the engine can push more than two characters on screen at the same time.
We also can't get a feel for the combat. Hard to tell whether the entire game's gesture based, ala Infinity Blade, or whether an analog stick lets users move freely within the environment.
One thing's for sure, this stunning title will definitely raise a ton of eyebrows in the months ahead. What we have is a game with graphics on par with the last generation consoles (Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube), and perhaps even a step above. Granted, Luma Arcade probably had to pull off some tricks to showcase the post apocalyptic western town and the ugly beasts populating it, but we can't help but drool regardless.
On that note, although we were left with more questions than answers, Bladeslinger could become the new benchmark in mobile gaming. We'll find out when it debuts this winter for iPhone, iPad and Android.

modojo

Posted in: Android News