Autumn Dynasty Review
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Autumn Dynasty Review

Our Review by Kevin Stout on May 25th, 2012
Rating: starstarstarstarstar :: NEARLY FLAWLESS
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Autumn Dynasty is an oriental-themed real-time strategy game.

Developer: Bulkypix
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPad (third generation)

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Game Controls Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar

Like many real-time strategy fans, I constantly hope to find quality RTS games on iOS. The platform is perfect for the genre and many of us have even been hoping that Blizzard rereleases an older Warcraft or Starcraft game on iOS. Autumn Dynasty may not be Starcraft, but it's an incredible RTS that borders on flawless.

Let me start off by saying that Autumn Dynasty may be the best real-time strategy game I've ever played on iOS. I say this because I cannot go through any review without finding at least something to criticize about it (all games can improve). But my "problems" with the game are incredibly minor compared to my average review.

There's a spectrum of complexity when it comes to RTS games and most fall on one end or the other. Combat is either overly complex or overly simplified. Autumn Dynasty sits right in the middle of that spectrum. Each type of unit has a specific purpose and special abilities. The counters for units are clear (and even if counters are forgotten, they pop up when a unit is selected). Like a great RTS, it's rock-paper-scissors on a real-time field of play with some added rules. Swordsmen counter pikemen, pikemen counter horsemen, horsemen counter archers and swordsmen, etc. Units can still successful fight the units that counter them if they have superior numbers. Learning the complexities of battle in Autumn Dynasty is simple, but mastering it takes time.

The storyline was interesting. Occasionally the game would switch to a dialogue screen with cartoony characters discussing what was going on. It follows a traditional storyline of rebels fighting an unjust empire, only the player starts on the side of the empire.

Multiplayer is included (both local and Game Center) and it is incredible. There are various maps that players can fight on, all research is available for the units, and the voice chat works perfectly. That's right, this game has voice chat for multiplayer. It's that awesome. I also immediately found a game to play against someone the morning this game was released.

Both the graphics and music were incredible. The music has an imperial Asian theme and it fits the theme of the game perfectly. I never got sick of the music or sound effects. And the graphics are perfect for an RTS. The whole battlefield looks like a drawn map. The units just happen to move about that map. Even the arrows when units are moved look like a pen has scratched the movement onto the map.

The only real problem I had with the game was the controls. They took longer to get used to than other RTS games I've played. But the controls were still intuitive and reacted immediately. I simply took longer than I expected to "master" the controls.

There's no question that every RTS fan should try this game. Even gamers that don't generally enjoy real-time strategies should give this a try. Autumn Dynasty is one of the best games I've played on iOS in quite a while.

iPhone Screenshots

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iPad Screenshots

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