Especially in the last five years, the twin-stick shooter genre has taken off. First with the
success of Geometry Wars and then by the explosion of the games here on the iPhone. The problem
arises in that so many of the games get the basic formula right that it gets hard to stand
out from the crowd. There seems to be a check-list in place. Beautiful lighting and particle
effects? Check. Great balance of weapons and monsters for high score play? Check. Tight
and responsive controls? I'm happy to say a resounding check. What Inferno+ does is
take the pressure off the high score system, instead focusing on maze-like levels full
of turrets and bonuses, and not only a selection of different ships, but lots of upgrades to
purchase as the levels go on. Does this make for a unique and fresh twin-stick shooter
experience? Well, yes and no...
If you've played one twin-stick shooter, you'll know how Inferno+ operates. The left stick
steers your craft, while the right fires your weapons. There's also a button to utilize
a shield next to the right stick. Your craft is responsive if a little slow, but then this
suits the more methodical exploratory gameplay. The weapons fire fast and loose, and after
a couple upgrades in the conveniently placed shops around the levels, you'll be dishing
out destruction with not only improved weaponry but some turrets of your own that trail behind
your every move.
Each level is a race to find the exit. You fly through corridors, hit dead ends, find
keys to open doors, and try and blast all the enemies in your way (plus the turrets
that continuously pump out these enemies). The mazes are quite simple and everything
has a natural progression to it, and to top it all off, there are bonus stages hidden
in exits behind false walls that will certainly help you upgrade quicker and easier.
It seems that all the components of Inferno+ come together to make a great game, but there
is something missing. It might be the sterile nature of the mazes, or the ease of progression
with the upgrades. These matters don't take away from this being a good game, but they
do keep it from becoming a great game. Take from that what you will.
