DIYgamer

Holy s***, it’s an Earth Dragon! [Review]

That’s mainly what the characters in the game look like they’re saying when you’re burning them to bits…or eating them…or beating the crap out of the castles they’re in. Chaim Gingold is not a stranger to the gaming industry; he famously worked on Spore, mainly on the game’s Creature Creator but was also a key member for design elements of game. This is a developer who has often shown up to the Indie Game Jam.

Enter the iPhone: just the type of innovative technology that would complement Gingold’s true abilities. The result? Well, basically if I were to transfer this into a mathematical equation, it would look something like this: Chaim Gingold + iPhone = Earth Dragon (I believe in Chinese traditions this specific dragon represents “pure fuckin’ genius.”) Although the style and gameplay feel fresh, I believe there is room for improvement, so here’s the rundown.

Gameplay

Basically, Earth Dragon utilizes most of what it can on the iPhone. You pilot a dragon and must proceed through 15 levels in which you convincingly apply your expertise of the controls. The accelerometer comes into use when you wish to fly and, by simply rocking the iPhone back and forth, the dragon will flap its wings and fly. After gaining enough air, you either tilt the iPhone to the right or left to make your dragon move from one side of the screen to the other. The funner part, however, comes into play when you’re given the ability to destroy shit. How do you do this? Well, there are actually a number of ways to wreak havoc on the futile humans. First, you can burn them with your breath of fire. Remember, you’re not an authentic dragon unless you have fire breath. Second, you can descend to the puny humans and completely dismantle their buildings by tapping on the castle itself. Is that not enough? Fine, you can even eat those pesky humans by flying straight at them. It is just oh, so fun! Other random gameplay elements include extra points for following in the footsteps of the legendary dragons and swooping princesses away; having different types of enemies help keep it challenging, e.g archers and wizards; the levels gradually get tougher and some are even collection levels (where you collect coins). The final level (spoiler alert?) is a boss, which is actually quite difficult. Still, the game did not run for long and I finished it all within an hour. I know that Gingold wished to create something with instant gratification, but I hope that updates will be made available for the game in the future to enhance the experience. Fifteen levels is simply not enough.

Style

In this department, Earth Dragon outshines the gajillion other iPhone apps. The art is fantastic and flows perfectly. Though simplistic, there’s an overtone of humor in the entire play-through. The world design is so–dare I say–”cute” that you eventually overlook the fact that you’re wreaking havoc everywhere you roam. Like I said, the engine of the title supplies an ample fluidity and looks as if it has reached its zenith in terms of style.

Story

Earth Dragon contains a very, very loose story of a legend, so to speak. There’s really no other elements to the story. Neither is there cohesion from level to level with regards to story, meaning continuity is virtually nonexistent. Instead, at first you learn how to do stuff and then you just do stuff. The number of princesses you kidnap doesn’t make you a hero or villain. The argument that this gameplay doesn’t require story is not absurd, but the addition of those elements would have helped for a more memorable experience.

Everything Else

The music and sound effects are where they should be. They are not spectacular nor dull, rather they complement the style and gameplay sufficiently. Players looking for a unique and quick-fix experience will be ecstatic, but for those of us that wish for the story and content to be prolonged will either have to wait a while or be let down (in case there are no updates). I truly wish this game was longer because it’s so incredibly fun to destroy things!

That’s it! I can’t write much more because I do not have a lot to work with. However, I must stress how unique this experience is. It feels as if I own a piece of genius on my iPhone and recommend it to anyone else that’s looking for something to make you smile. At $2.99, Earth Dragon is worth it. Chaim Gingold, we are anticipating any other releases you have in mind!

Here’s the game’s official website!

[The reviewer obtained the game for free for review purposes.]