DJEE games has developed an iOS app that only looks simple and easy. Planet Lander, their latest iOS app is a challenging game with an innovative concept and superb implementation. Users are flying a spaceship and are required to land it without crashing it. There are a number of factors that add to the difficulty of this simple statement.
When you first download and install the game, it looks easy upon launching. As you begin playing, you realise that you could not have been more wrong. As the levels proceed, the level of difficulty gets more and more difficult.There are three different planets, each with a different environment. Also, there are 5 different modules to pilot, each with a unique set of defining features. There are 60 levels in total, each having gems and stars to be earned. Each level also has three different goals to accomplish- lad safely on the ground, collect the gems and beat the time goals.
The developers do indeed revolutionise the ‘Lander’ genre as promised. The game comes with a classic gaming space environment and a number of add-ons such as different planets, dangers and more. The graphics are not polished nor have a professional artist’s touch. They do stand out and serve the purpose though. It shall remind you of the olden day Windows games that were popular in the 90’s. The graphics are basic and do not have much to clutter the screen. Nothing flashy at all.
The gameplay is simple and takes no time to learn at all. The twist is to master them- a task that requires hours of practice and patience. The controls include touching the left or right bottom of the screen in order to turn on the respective thrusters. You have to get control of the thrusters and collect gems to complete each level.
Getting the right timing is the key to winning this game. A second more or less and you could crash your landing. There is also an elaborate tutorial at the beginning of the game to help newbies figure out the controls. The tutorial doesn’t give a very clear picture though, leaving a lot to guesswork. By the time you begin figuring out the game, you run out of lives. There should be more lives for each level in the game. The beginning difficulty level should be reduced so that players can get a hang of the game.
Despite these little drawbacks, the game is worth downloading and playing. It is so challenging that it will have you addicted in no time. Each level brings more excitement and adventure and is unique from the previous one. The game never runs out of surprises. The graphics are pretty neat and the gameplay is intuitive too.
Planet Lander is currently available for free download from the App Store. It is compatible with the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad and requires iOS 5.1.1 or higher versions. It occupies 28.3 MB of memory space on your device. This game is available in 11 different languages at present.
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Game Concept
Game Play Elements
Game Graphics & Music
Replay Value
Timing
Getting the right timing is the key to winning this game. A second more or less and you could crash your landing.
