Originally a PC title released last year, Auralux is a real-time strategy game with an ultra-simple design in all aspects of the game, be it the graphics, gameplay, sound or controls. I am serious when I say ‘ultra-simple’ – I have never played a game with such a stripped down design (no it’s not bad at all). Anyway, I have been waiting for some time for this game to make its way onto Android. Now that it’s here, does it live up to my expectations? Read on to find out.
Name: Auralux | Developer: War Drum Studios | Category: Strategy | Players: 1 | Version: 1.1 | Size: 25 MB | Price: Free |
Gameplay:
Basically, your target in Auralux is to attack the enemies (yes, there are two enemies) and take control of their stars. At the beginning of each level all three of you start with an equal amount of units. Units are generated by your own star, and your intermediate goal should be to take over empty stars so that more units are generated. Some stars can be upgraded, and this is where the strategy element comes in. Do you upgrade your current star or take over an empty star? And it’s not all about attack, for you must defend your stars from the enemies too. From my experience, what you do in the first sixty seconds of the game will determine whether you win or lose.
The length of each level depends on one factor – whether you’re playing in ‘speed mode’ or not. This mode has to be obtained via an IAP and doesn’t come with the trial levels. With the speed mode turned on (it’s optional after you purchase it), each game takes around 3-5 minutes. Without it, the game could take 20 minutes or more.
Playing at a quicker pace is more difficult, while if you play it slow, it’s well, just too slow. I would rather have a slider (like in Osmos), where you can increase/decrease the pace of the game at your own convenience because there are times you need to strategise for a moment, and other times when you will want to fast-forward.
Expansions packs can be purchased either standalone or in bulk via IAPs. There is a special Tegra-only pack which features levels with bigger maps. The levels have a variety of difficulty ratings, namely easy, normal, hard and insane (yeah, insane!), and there are some achievements for you to aim for. If you complete all the levels in speed mode, there is bonus content to be unlocked as well.
Graphics & Sound:
There is nothing much to talk on graphics. The game set in a dark backdrop with neon colored spheres. If you have played Osmos, you will immediately find that both games share a very similar look, though the gameplay is different. The stars radiate pulses of light which gives the game a nice vibe. There is nothing wrong with the simplicity of the graphics because it allows you to enjoy the gameplay more instead.
The soundtrack and sound effects in this game are designed to provide a nice ambient setting. In Osmos, the sound was a huge factor in making the game a massive success. While the soundtrack in Auralux is adequate and does its job well, it is not particularly impressive. With such a simple game design overall, more effort could have been put into the soundtrack of the game.
Controls:
The game makes use of touch gestures such as swipes, taps and pinch-to-zoom well. You give commands using one finger, use two fingers to move around the screen and pinch to zoom in and out. Then, to upgrade your star you tap on it. It might take you some time to get used to this seemingly easy control scheme though as the whole experience may not feel fluid initially. But once you get the hang of things, everything falls into place nicely.
Conclusion:
Auralux is a great little game that should keep you entertained for some time. However, the game is undone by an inherent lack of content. I also find that the game AI is not well balanced, where winning a level can sometimes be pure luck. I won one of the ‘insane’ levels the first time round in speed mode because my opponents started attacking each other.
While Auralux is no doubt addicting as you will keep wanting more, therein lies the danger – you can quite possibly finish the whole game in one sitting. A complete expansion pack (minus the Tegra-only levels) with speed mode and 15 levels costs $2.99. If you’re OK with that, grab the game off Google Play for free with three levels to begin with and start getting those strategizing skills of yours up to speed.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
