GEO Hunters Review

Location based gaming feels like something that's on the brink of being ridiculously huge. Yes, we already have the likes of FourSquare that provide something similar but I've got a feeling things are going to get even bigger and more interesting in the coming years. Just look at how cell phone usage has changed in recent times and how increasingly important GPS is. GEO Hunters feels like a game that realises all of this and embraces it. It's an RPG that lacks a certain amount of content but I still found it an enjoyable and intriguing experience.

You start the game by signing up to an account and choosing your character class. The choices are typical RPG fodder comprising of warrior, hunter or wizard. Signing up allows you to rank your progress against others and thus create a social element to proceedings. It's simple enough making it ideal for those not used to RPGs. A screen appears forming the basis of the RPG elements - namely an inventory menu and shop interface. More interestingly is the ability to capture monsters during later stages and the way in which you acquire more attack and defense potions. The latter involves the use of your body, literally. To pick up new attack potions, you must shake the iOS device 100 times. It doesn't take as long as it sounds. To acquire a defense potion, you have to walk a few hundred meters, again nothing major. It's a nice touch though, especially for a game so reliant on location.

Choosing your battles is where Google Maps enters the picture. A series of street based monsters appear, scattered around the area that you're currently located at. In reality, it doesn't really matter where you live, there's always a plentiful supply of monsters. It's a nice touch to see your surroundings though, even if it is essentially just a backdrop.

Fighting is a turn based affair. It's also reminisicent of the likes of paper toss games whereby wind plays an important factor in your success. You have to line up a gauge then tap the attack button once more just as you reach the right range in order to hit your foe. It's simple but there is a knack behind getting it just right. How much it hurts your opponent depends on how accurate you were with critical attacks possible if you line up the shot perfectly. It's satisfying when this happens as it can often wipe out more than half of your enemy's health.

As you progress, buying new equipment (which in turn helps you level up), larger foes come along and you can capture them too. It's all a pretty simple concept but admittedly at first, it can seem a little confusing. The one thing I feel GEO Hunters could have done with was a more obvious tutorial rather than digging through the help files. Once it sinks in though, you'll be hooked as GEO Hunters is a pretty interesting game. For free, you'd be daft not to get it and the potential is clearly there making for an addictive experience. One that you'll find yourself dipping into often, just in order to up your ranking.