Tehra Dark Warrior

Developer: StormBASIC Games
Price: $2.99
Version Reviewed: 1.11
Reviewed on: iPhone 3GS

iPhone Integration [rating:3/5]
Gameplay [rating3/5]
Controls [rating:3/5]
Graphics and Sound [rating:4/5]

Re-use / Replay Value [rating:2/5]

Overall Rating:

Developed by StormBASIC Games, Tehra Dark Warrior is a fantasy-based RPG slasher set in the times of knights and dragons. As you navigate through each level you encounter numerous enemies or varying size and strength. Using the power of your rather large sword you battle through grabbing and slashing everything in your path.

The game is set in the land of Sistar, a city laid to waste due to endless war between the humans and a tribe of vicious mythical demons called the Urka'h. As the main player in the game, you move through realistic 3D environments aiming to grow stronger and gain more skill to ultimately defeat stronger enemies. Throughout the game you're likely to meet a number of creatures, including the likes of Orcs, the undead, Mages, enormous Trolls and some of which will be unknown to man.

Controlling your character is fairly simple. On the left of the screen you'll find a virtual joystick. Much like the control methods we've seen show up in other RPG-based titles, like Hero of Sparta and Assassins Creed for example. On the right of the screen you'll find two further buttons. The first is your fight button and when tapped controls the slashing of the sword you are wielding. The second is your shield. Use this to block enemy attacks and catch them off guard. Above these you have your 'Cast' button. This is used to cast magic spells at your enemies. In the top left of the screen you'll find two gauges. The first is your health which damaged on attack, and the second is the amount of 'magic' you have left in you. If you have no magic the 'Cast' button will become unusable until such time you regain your magic powers. While gameplay is immersive visually for the most part, I found that where Tehra Dark Warrior fell down a bit was the lack of user involvement within the game. I'm not going to lie, gameplay is extremely repetitive, literally consisting of slashing multiple enemies, over and over, until they die. Also, the lack of movements you can achieve with your character also lets the title down in parts.

Returning to the game's positives though, and Tehra Dark Warrior includes an extensive online mode. Here you can jump in and join the worldwide competition trying to win a fair number of different prizes and awards. Gameplay here doesn't seem to differ from playing yourself really, other than that 'challenging' element being introduced, which ultimately sees you playing over and over again to try and achieve better status.

Overall, while I found Tehra Dark Warrior to be visually stunning, showing off its immersive 3D realistic environments - and lets be honest here, they are great .. this for me was another age old case of visuals over gameplay. The game needs something more .. I'm not sure what; maybe it could benefit from more user controllable weapon moves? .. or even just more weapons? As it stand its a respectable game to maybe pass half an hour or so, but it doesn't really have that "grab" replay value I was expecting compared to other titles within its genre.

[gallery]