Axe in Face Review

Daffodils are quite important to Vikings it seems. Or at least according to Axe in Face: Defense of the Daffodils, they are.

You play Red Beard, a Viking who is extremely passionate about his daffodils. It's down to you to ensure that Red Beard's daffodils aren't trampled by those pesky Viking hordes who have no understanding of the importance of horticulture. It's simple to stop them - throw an axe in their direction. To do this you simply draw a line across the screen and the axe follows that trajectory.

It gets a little more complicated than that across the 32 levels on offer, as the hordes grow in number quite rapidly. At its heart, Axe in Face clearly borrows from the many tower defense games already on the app store but the line mechanics makes things feel more unique. With some careful planning you can adjust the trajectory so that the axe catches a foe in the back rather than the front. Indeed this is vital in later stages when new foes emerge who have shields to protect them or even trees which can block shots unless you set your axe on fire first.

Axe in Face makes for some good, casual fun. Things get more hectic the further you progress, but it's fun to accrue bigger and bigger combos. You can also collect orbs from your foes and then use them to electrocute groups of Vikings. There are also trophies to collect, which are always satisfying to gain. It's just a shame that there are no global leaderboards to encourage you. There's also no endless mode, which is a missed opportunity, so once you finish the 32 levels, that's it unless you want to revisit already completed levels.

Despite these small flaws, Axe in Face is well worth a purchase. It's charming and cute. Most importantly, it's an absolute bargain for a game that has the addictive qualities of iPhone greats such as Angry Birds or Flight Control.