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You only have to look at the media’s incessant grooming to realise it’s only a matter of time before we’re all required to suit up and spend the rest of our days inside giant robot bodies. If like us you want some practice before judgment day then you might want to check out Iron Sight, the latest mech warfare title from developers Polarbit and deionmobile.
Iron Sight’s simple story thrusts you into a post-apocalyptic world (no surprises there really) pitting you as either the peace keeping force/oppressive regime (outlook depending on which campaign you choose) of the Corporation or the plucky forces of the Rebellion. The two factions have different units to command but that’s really where the differences end; the level presentation and gameplay mechanics are identical for both factions so choosing a team is purely reliant on whichever mechs you think look coolest.
Gameplay is a turn-based affair with a 90 second time limit to move, aim and fire off a variety of different rockets in the general direction of the enemy forces. Iron Sight plays a lot like Team 17’s Worms games or the MS-DOS freebee Gorillas, so anyone familiar with these titles will feel right at home with the vector based projectile mechanic. Polarbit adds spice to the pot with a highly sensitive wind system that has a real bearing on each rocket’s outcome. Firing a rocket way off target and watching it drift into your enemy’s position is an immensely satisfying experience, if not a little hard to get spot-on, and will no doubt be the decider in many a multiplayer match.
So where does Iron Sight come unstuck? Well, the touch-based d-pad controls leave a lot to be desired and many will grimace at the awkwardness that arises whenever battle demands negotiating yourself around the playfield. Thankfully the set up for aiming and firing your rockets (which makes up the staple of the game) feels solid as a rock, it’s just a shame that movement feels so wayward and uncomfortable.
With a real deficit of 3D strategy games available from the App Store Iron Sight is bound to attract some fans. Despite some ugly control issues it still offers up a fine example of turn-based strategy, and when mastered will no doubt prepare you nicely for when the four robot horsemen of the apocalypse herald the end of the world…
Iron Sight was reviewed with version 1.0.
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