iPhone Game of the Week: Solomon’s Keep
Solomon’s Keep, from developer Raptisoft Games, is an action RPG built from the ground up with mobile gaming in mind. The game combines streamlined controls and upgrading with a campaign that encourages experimentation and replayability. Players who have felt intimidated in the past by complex skill trees will be able to jump right into the action focused combat and streamlined upgrading. On the other hand, veterans of the genre will appreciate the randomly generated dungeons and items that make multiple playthroughs a must.
Players take control of Sirius, a young wizard who is tasked with defeating the villainous Solomon Dark in order to complete his education in wizardry. It all screams of a certain teenage wizard whose been quite successful at the box office as of late, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if J. K. Rowling is looking for royalties. The story mainly serves as an excuse to go take some names in the game’s randomly generated dungeons, which is much more enjoyable.
The gameplay in Solomon’s Keep features a top down viewing angle, and simple twin stick controls - the left stick controls movement, and the right controls magical abilities. The RPG elements, as mentioned above, have been boiled down to the basics, which is by no means a criticism. For instance, the leveling system has been simplified so players won’t get hung up in complicated skill trees. Sirius gains experience by fighting his way through hordes of enemies, eventually causing him to level up. When a new level is reached players are given the choice between three randomly selected abilities to upgrade. However, it’s not completely random - for example, after choosing lightning the game will generate more skills to add to or compliment that choice. The design is accessible but doesn’t feel dumbed down.
The random nature of not only the upgrading but also the loot drops, dungeon layouts, and items for sale in town make Solomon’s keep a game that begs to be played multiple times. The story can be completed in under a couple hours so replayability is essential. The short campaign also makes it easy to experiment with different skills without having to worry about messing up progress. An effective save system also lends itself to experimentation - more than five minutes of progress will never be lost whether you die or have to quickly turn the game off. Bottom line, Solomon’s Keep is built for quick, ‘pick up and play’ sessions.
Solomon’s Keep is an addictive action RPG that is ideal for gaming on the go. The gameplay will appeal to both casual and experienced players with its streamlined approach that maintains some difficulty. The campaign is brief but has a great deal of replay value due to randomly generated environments and abilities. Ultimately, Solomon’s Keep is an easy game to recommend.
Verdict: BUY
Developer: Raptisoft
Genre: Action RPG
Release Date: April 3rd, 2010
Price: $0.99
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