Space Wolves Review

Developer: Griffilms
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.01
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 3GS

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Whilst it wouldn’t be fair to label Space Wolves as a clone of Angry Birds, it is pretty clear that the two games are very similar. After all, that title from Rovio Mobile has garnered huge sales and a lot of attention from App Store gamers; that winning formula is one that developer Griffilms can take inspiration from to produce a similar type of game, one that has players flinging silver balls at Space Wolves.

So, what happens when a silver ball comes into contact with a Space Wolf? The wolf turns into a blinking pile of ash, naturally! There are always three of the wolves on a level and players earn stars based on the number of balls used; after three attempts the level will be restarted. These restarts and level loads can be a little painful as the title is built using GameSalad, an engine built for easy game development but not renowned for its speed.
[caption id="attachment_58473" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="We’re safe here, boys!"]

Space Wolves is a little limiting in its gameplay too - each level takes place on a single screen which doesn’t allow for complicated, intricate designs and one shot set-pieces that similar games can pull off with ease simply given more room. The game flirts with some complexity later on through the use of electromagnetic fields that can make the silver balls float upward, but other obstacles are standard fare, including moving blockades, springs and vortexes. However, the absence of point scoring is refreshing; it makes sense that to get three stars requires a perfect single shot, rather than some arbitrary tally.

The game isn’t very difficult but is hindered by the firing system as the slingshot length is often obscured by one’s thumb. Like Angry Birds the game is completely linear too, however the difficulty is not as much of a problem and it’s unlikely that players will be stuck on any particular level for very long.

Some effort has gone into the presentation of the game, which looks great in those muted pastel colours; the jazz music is especially welcome as it fits very well, especially as finishing a level will yield a different tune depending on the amount of stars earned. There’s no new presentational ground being covered here but it is in fact one of the best GameSalad games that I’ve played in this regard.

Fans of Angry Birds probably won’t find anything particularly novel in here, but it is a different title in its own right and not simply a clone. Enjoyable whilst it lasts, Space Wolves is good fun; it doesn’t really do anything new but it is a pleasant experience slightly blemished by noticeable loading screens. If you can’t wait for more from Rovio Mobile you might want to choose this one as a fun change of pace.