TITAN - Escape The Tower Review

A remake of the 1980s hit of the same name, TITAN - Escape The Tower is an interesting twist on the Breakout/Arkanoid formula. With fewer restrictions on movement, it's quite the frantically paced game and one that requires perfect controls. A shame given it lacks the latter, with some faltering moments within.

With 80 levels in all, there's no chance of completing this game quickly. Each follow a similar style, with players controlling a robot that can move around the level. Different from other block busting games, the robot can move in any direction it wants, only restricted by the constraints of the level, rather than the horizontal movements of others. This adds a puzzle style element to each stage, given that players frequently find themselves having to figure out what path to take to complete the stage. Hidden amongst the blocks is a portal to the next stage, as well as some enemies out to sap one's health bar.

It's all a nice idea and makes things much more involving than the typical Arkanoid action we've all seen before, even if it does lack Game Center support for those wanting to compare high scores. Some of the blocks can only be destroyed by the robot banging into them repeatedly, adding further reason for movement. There are power-ups too, such as the all destroying Fireball, the Multiball and a freeze move.

Unfortunately, this is also where TITAN - Escape The Tower's flaws become apparent. The controls just aren't up to scratch on the iPhone. There's a virtual joystick for moving around, but it's downright strange. It's responsive enough but it moves ever so slightly on the screen, depending on where one places their finger. This isn't like a free-roaming virtual joystick, it's too restrictive for that. But it's also not fixed enough that it feels safe and stable. It's a curious amalgamation of two popular methods, and it doesn't really work. Alongside that, the icons used for the various power-ups are pretty small, even on an iPhone 5 screen.

There's quite a fun game underneath those awkward controls. Twisting a familiar format is a neat idea and I like the structure of TITAN - Escape The Tower. Those controls dampen the excitement though, and this title isn't quite the block busting hit it could have been.