by Chris Holt , Macworld.com Developed by 3 Sprockets for the iPad 2 and third-generation iPad, Cubemen is astripped-down strategy and tower defense game. The geometriccubemen of the game s namesake are divided into two competingforces that do battle on grid-like, multi-dimensional levels. Thegoal of each stage is to defeat the enemy forces while defendingyour spawn point. Despite the game s simplistic art, there s a reason why the appwon t fit onto your iPhone: Cubemen requires a great deal ofprecision to play, and that means fully using the iPad s screen tosee the entire scope of the battlefield and deploy your littlemurderous geometric troops. Block Warfare: Cubemen features fully 3-D maps so you ll not onlyhave to defend your flanks, but look to higher ground to gain anadvantage.
In the game s classic tower defense mode, for example, you mustdeploy your troops from their spawn point on the map. This requiresyou to tap your finger on the destination of your new soldier, anexacting gesture that would likely be lost on a smaller screen.Enemies will appear in waves from red spawn points, and knowingwhere to deploy your troops to maximize their abilities is key toyour survival. You ll have seven unique soldiers to use in battle, ranging fromquick and disposable pistol infantry to valuable and expensive Lazlo soldiers armed with powerful heavy weapons. The sevensoldier types provide plenty of variety, though some are moreuseful tactically than others.
Flamethrower troops are great inclose combat but useless when not hidden by cover, and theaforementioned Lazlo troops are the most powerful units in thegame if you re producing three or more of these, you re usuallyon your way to victory. Unlike most tower defense games, however, you re able to redeployyour troops at will. You earn more troops by destroying enemies, sorefortifying positions with more advanced troops is a must. Thegame is sufficiently challenging with the enemy AI to keep youentertained for hours. But be warned the redundant soundtrack andminimalist art design almost necessitate short play sessions. Low Voltage Power Cables
The skirmish mode pits you on equal footing with your enemy: Bothyou and your enemy spawn waves of grunt soldiers, while you canalso augment your army by buying troops. The resulting gameresembles the famed World of Warcraft mod Defense of theAncients in its gameplay. The strategy lies in destroying theenemy grunts while securing your position and earning currency formore advanced units. The catch with skirmish mode is that you can only deploy yoursoldiers to spaces not currently occupied or not tagged foroccupation by your enemy. So if you want to deploy a soldier twospaces from your spawn point, but your enemy has already sent atrooper to that exact point, you re out of luck. Xlpe Insulated Power Cable
(This growsincreasingly frustrating if the enemy s soldier hasn t evenarrived yet but is on route.) I m not sure I qualify this as aflaw in the game, but it s certainly a tactical consideration theplayer must be aware of and it does, of course, cut both ways.I d often send waves of flamethrower troopers toward the enemybase, hoping to clear out many enemies at the same time. There s dearth of good strategy games on the iOS, and Cubemen isrefreshing in its complexity and challenge. Succeeding on even themedium level of difficulty requires more than a single try, and themore advanced missions require some real cunning. The game scontrols are up to the task for the most part, recognizing most ofmy tap commands even when they were initiated in panicked momentsof battle. Multicore Control Cable Manufacturer
Aside from challenge, the game provides some elements ofreplayability thanks to networked multiplayer skirmish feature andthe occasional appearance of colored crates that grant the playerbonuses. These crates can often swing the course of battle sothey re very useful, if rare. Cubemen is a quality game that ultimately may be looking for anaudience. It s too challenging to be a casual game, and its lackof polish may turn off some shoppers. But despite its quirks, fansof strategy games and those core gamers out there desperatelyseeking a challenge on the iOS may have finally found it only incube form.
[ Former associate editor Chris Holt remains a frequent contributorto Macworld. ].
In the game s classic tower defense mode, for example, you mustdeploy your troops from their spawn point on the map. This requiresyou to tap your finger on the destination of your new soldier, anexacting gesture that would likely be lost on a smaller screen.Enemies will appear in waves from red spawn points, and knowingwhere to deploy your troops to maximize their abilities is key toyour survival. You ll have seven unique soldiers to use in battle, ranging fromquick and disposable pistol infantry to valuable and expensive Lazlo soldiers armed with powerful heavy weapons. The sevensoldier types provide plenty of variety, though some are moreuseful tactically than others.
Flamethrower troops are great inclose combat but useless when not hidden by cover, and theaforementioned Lazlo troops are the most powerful units in thegame if you re producing three or more of these, you re usuallyon your way to victory. Unlike most tower defense games, however, you re able to redeployyour troops at will. You earn more troops by destroying enemies, sorefortifying positions with more advanced troops is a must. Thegame is sufficiently challenging with the enemy AI to keep youentertained for hours. But be warned the redundant soundtrack andminimalist art design almost necessitate short play sessions. Low Voltage Power Cables
The skirmish mode pits you on equal footing with your enemy: Bothyou and your enemy spawn waves of grunt soldiers, while you canalso augment your army by buying troops. The resulting gameresembles the famed World of Warcraft mod Defense of theAncients in its gameplay. The strategy lies in destroying theenemy grunts while securing your position and earning currency formore advanced units. The catch with skirmish mode is that you can only deploy yoursoldiers to spaces not currently occupied or not tagged foroccupation by your enemy. So if you want to deploy a soldier twospaces from your spawn point, but your enemy has already sent atrooper to that exact point, you re out of luck. Xlpe Insulated Power Cable
(This growsincreasingly frustrating if the enemy s soldier hasn t evenarrived yet but is on route.) I m not sure I qualify this as aflaw in the game, but it s certainly a tactical consideration theplayer must be aware of and it does, of course, cut both ways.I d often send waves of flamethrower troopers toward the enemybase, hoping to clear out many enemies at the same time. There s dearth of good strategy games on the iOS, and Cubemen isrefreshing in its complexity and challenge. Succeeding on even themedium level of difficulty requires more than a single try, and themore advanced missions require some real cunning. The game scontrols are up to the task for the most part, recognizing most ofmy tap commands even when they were initiated in panicked momentsof battle. Multicore Control Cable Manufacturer
Aside from challenge, the game provides some elements ofreplayability thanks to networked multiplayer skirmish feature andthe occasional appearance of colored crates that grant the playerbonuses. These crates can often swing the course of battle sothey re very useful, if rare. Cubemen is a quality game that ultimately may be looking for anaudience. It s too challenging to be a casual game, and its lackof polish may turn off some shoppers. But despite its quirks, fansof strategy games and those core gamers out there desperatelyseeking a challenge on the iOS may have finally found it only incube form.
[ Former associate editor Chris Holt remains a frequent contributorto Macworld. ].