Review: Iron Sight HD
Score:
74%
Anyone spotting the name Polarbit know to expect great graphics, coupled with an absorbing game, and I’m glad to say that Iron Sight HD continues that trend. This artillery-based game is not without the occasional quirk, and has a steep learning curve, but for those gamers who stick with it and learn the game, it’s very rewarding. As I've found out.
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Taking a cue from the early "lob an explosive shell" games such as Scorched Earth, you are in control of a squad of all terrain tanks – and like any good slightly futuristic thriller, they’ve dispensed with tracks and you are now a walking gun platform (either with two strong legs or spider-like appendages), able to stroll around the territory to both hide, take cover and get in a better position to take out the enemy squadron on the other side of the playing field.
Once you get into that position, turn and face the enemy (with a bit of an offset for the wind), set the elevation of your rocket launcher, and hold down the power button to release the thrusting “spear of destiny” into the sky. And this is tough. The combination of constantly changing distance, along with the ability to set and tweak the firing angle and the power given to your rocket… well that’s a lot of things to consider, and Polarbit haven’t sugar coated the difficulty.
You just need to learn what works and what doesn’t. There are no shortcuts on this front, no handy aids, head up displays, or laser rangefinders. You just need to practice. This could be the biggest flaw in the game, because while hardcore gamers may be happy working out the basic strategy of the game, more casual players may move on because there is no instant reward.
Which would be a shame because there is a great game here. There’s the challenge of lofting your rockets towards their target, but there are also some smaller challenges in the game, such as managing the supply of rockets (while the basic ones will never run out, there are more advanced options including those that cause more damage, or that “shotgun” into three rockets while in flight). While you might get a resupply, what you start with is your entire armoury, so use it wisely.
The terrain you’ll be fighting in and around is rendered in 3D, and you’ll be moving around this environment easily, with on-screen direction buttons controlling the movement. On the smaller screened C6-01, some of these buttons can be very close together – it’s quite easy to just miss the “angle” slider and hit “launch” by mistake, and there’s no going back from that, you have to wait till your next turn. This isn’t real time, but the very English “take a shot, let your opponent take a shot, back to you again” approach.
There’s a slight grunginess to the graphics on show here – even with the graphics chip in the new devices it feels a little dated and I think that’s simply down to some poor choice in terms of the textures used in the landscape and on the tanks – be they the two legged variations on one side of the conflict, or the spider-like opposition.
There’s a touch of “Worms” in here with extra ammunition being delivered from the sky at regular intervals, which you’ll need to scuttle over to collect. Unfortunately there’s none of the humour – this is a man’s game , all gruff voices, armour and artillery being lobbed. There’s not time for fun during a war! Given that, though, this is still a good game which creates a nice atmosphere around it, so congrats to the designers.
In a single player game, you can choose to play either side, and you can go for a single battle or work through a campaign of missions, which has the bonus of unlocking those levels for single battle play. Two multiplayer options are available – the first is a hot-seat mode where you take your turn and then pass the handset to your opponent.
The other option is to play over the internet – setting up a profile with your name allows you to go online and look at the various “rooms” on the Polar Bit servers. If there’s anyone there, you can join a game, otherwise start one up and wait to be challenged. In practice, this looks and feels just like the computer AI game, but with a vastly more experienced opponent.
Iron Sight HD is a nice spin on the traditional artillery game. As mentioned, I do have some worries over the difficulty curve when you start a game, and the graphics could do with a bit of polish to make them feel a bit brighter, but this delivers a nice challenge. There’s a lot of scope for improvement – better use of terrain and the ability to move and take cover after firing a missile would make for more interesting tactics – but this is a solid and classic game that’s been given a good makeover.
-- Ewan Spence, Dec 2010.
Reviewed by Ewan Spence at