Tag: Kenny Loggins »

If there is one thing that the iOS platform doesn't lack for it is air combat simulators.  I don't know whether it is the gyroscopic tilt controls of the device or the touchscreen interface, but developers have been clambering to get their games live on the platform since day one.  The problem was none of these games were able to take advantage of the new microtransaction based ecosystem that now flourishes in portable games.

Set to answer this call of the free releases is Apple's newly crowned "Game of the Week," MetalStorm: Online.  Hitting the App Store for the low, low, price of nothing, the game features a wide variety of amazing content, including:

• 

  Real time multiplayer - compete against other players online on 3G and Wi-Fi


• Multiplayer, Leaderboards and Achievements powered by Game Center


• Next-gen 3D graphics with Retina Display support


• Dozens of unique aircraft to choose from


• Customize your aircraft with missiles and machine guns


• Survival Mode: obliterate waves of enemies with a friend in Co-Op multiplayer or singleplayer


• Perform advanced maneuvers by swiping in different directions


• Earn XP and level up to unlock more powerful items


• Talk with other players via the optional in-game Voice Chat system


• Full 360-degree flight in 3D space


• Gyroscope enables extra precise controls for iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4th generation devices

One notable absence from this list is a traditional single player campaign.  To some this may be a disappointment, but this is more in an effort to help harness the power of social gaming and leaderboard attacking that GameCenter allows to flourish.

Even after a few test flights I have to say that I am fairly impressed with what I have played.  Unfortunately, I have no intentions of spending any actual cash to "pimp my plane."  We're not saying that this is a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, but be careful.  In-app purchase, as innocent as they may seem, can add up very quickly.

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