FlipShip Review
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.1
Device Reviewed On: iPod touch 4
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FlipShip's risk/reward combo system is what makes it so compelling. Each enemy destroyed is worth 7 additional points (and enemies of the opposite color destroyed through whatever method add to the combo, and are worth double points), but the points add up to a bank of points that is only deposited when the player flips colors. Is it worth flipping in order to bank a large combo, or is it worth trying to navigate out of trouble in order to make it even bigger? Death wipes it to zero, though thankfully the player gets multiple lives. The multiple ships, each with different speeds, weapons, and special attacks, allow the player to customize the experience. The developers have also said that an upcoming update will add unviersal support to the game.
The special attacks not particularly well-implemented into the game; it's very easy to forget that they even exist while playing, as the icon is stowed away in the lower right corner of the screen. A more prominent indicator would help a lot to make them more useful. As well, tapping on that button when trying to flip in the heat of battle can lead to death! The game's randomly generated colors and environments represent a potential hazard to colorblind users; choosing which colors to play with would be much-preferred.FlipShip's inspirations are clear, but the game does feel like something unique because of it. Fans of arena survival games like Tilt to Live, Hard Lines, and Silverfish ought to check this one out.