iPad Games: Castle Combat HD

If you enjoy games with a bit of a medieval flair and also enjoy using your mind a bit, then Castle Combat HD might be up your alley. The game is pretty simple both in its look and gameplay, but it is worthy of a download if you are looking for something to waste your idle time.

The premise of Castle Combat HD is pretty straightforward. You have a castle that you must defend, and at the same time your aim is to destroy your opponents castle. To do so, you are given five cards. The cards are basically your lifeline, and how you use them will determine your success. The cards can represent either defensive powers such as stone and wood or offensive ones such as magic and army. You will have to time your usage of each card properly if you hope to win.

As far as game modes go, there is the option to match up versus the computer or against a friend. As with most games, playing the computer can get a bit boring and mundane, so the two player option is much more fun. While fun, however, the two player setting is done sharing one iPad, and this leads to some limitations. Since the game is based mostly on timing and strategy, the fact that two players use the same iPad to play eliminates a lot of the secrecy in your moves. Your opponent will see your move before you make it, and this deadens the competitiveness of the game in a way. Of course, considering the iPad setup for two player mode, it is hard to complain about this feature.

The fact that you must allocate your cards properly makes the game good exercise for your brain. To begin the game, you are given 22 units of your offensive and defensive resources, and you are also given men to aid you to victory that can apply each of the resources. Those men include a woodworker and mason for defensive help, and a wizard and soldier for offensive attacks. When you play one of your cards, a certain amount of your resources will be exhausted, so management is key.

Throughout the game, cards are issued randomly, and some might complain that this makes the game mostly based on luck. That is true, but luck seems to go both ways. Another gripe is that the single player mode is not only less fun than versus a live opponent, but beating the computer seems to easy. Different difficulty levels should have been implemented for various skill levels.

Overall, Castle Combat HD is an enjoyable game. Its replay value may be a bit low, but if you enjoy strategy titles then you might want to download it. At $1.99, you won’t exactly go broke in the process.