Game Review: Help fugitive apes save nature from human greed!

After our Cows vs Sheep review I really wanted to try out another fun game in which I can go on destroying anything that gets in the way and then Apestorm was released and filled the gap in my heart. It is so pleasant to see developers aim for different genres than what we usually see floating around, and taking risks in order to present us with a product that can be its own thing and stand out. This is what Channel 4 has managed to do with Apestorm, a side-scrolling zeppelin bombing game that definitely delivers. The fact that it takes place in a steampunk world is also a plus in my book as I love steampunk environments and looks.

Plot

Set in a world where humans have basically destroyed all natural resources, Apestorm tells the story of 3 apes (Muggs, Thaddius and Horatio) who take matter in their own hands and storm into the headquarters of their arch nemesis, a lunatic who apparently has a huge grudge against…bananas (thus the title), and lives solely to see banana trees go extinct. You can only imagine the rage of apes as they realized his plans, which armed them with the courage to attack him and his troops and even steal his zeppelin! Now, they try to destroy all human property (be it houses, robots, factories) from above. Will you help them stop the evil humans and save the world?

Gameplay

After the cinematic which explains the story, the game begins from the moment the 3 apes get on the stolen zeppelin and begin flying over the land. The controls are at both sides of the bottom of your screen. With the left button you can swipe up and down to make the zeppelin fly higher or lower, and also swipe left and right to make it go slower or faster. The control button on the right is for throwing bombs. During the tutorial you’ll be able to see where the bomb will land, but in the game itself it is up to you to drop it at the right moment. In the Options you can adjust the transparency of the controls and make other adjustments to match your preferences.

Mastering the controls is all you need to do well in this game because it all comes down to how well you can navigate the zeppelin first and foremost, and then throwing bombs with precision in order to hit the targets. For the most part, targets are warehouses, windmills, houses, factories and more, but also man-made objects like robots that move and destroy trees. Strangely, I found it harder to hit some houses than the moving targets. Slowing down is necessary if you want to leave nothing standing but it gets a bit frustrating if you keep this pace for too long. Not only that, but by flying faster or higher you get extra points. When you get lower the screen zooms in and when you’re higher it zooms out. Things will get harder the more you advance and after some levels in, you'll also have to deal with anti aircraft fire which makes the game a lot harder and frustrating. It will be hard to deal with the enemy fire when you zoom out.

Also, you need to watch out for mountains or going to low, because if you get in touch with even a tree, the zeppelin is destroyed and you need to replay the level. Another important thing you need to remember is that by hitting trees or animals you receive a penalty and lose points. The apes are supposed to protect nature from humans so you are only rewarded with points if you hit the right targets.

Each of the 20 levels has its own set of objectives (e.g. destroying all windmills, or freeing all the animals in captivity) and every objective you complete successfully rewards you with a banana (the game’s currency). If you want to see the objectives, all you need to do is tap on the pause button while you’re playing and the list will appear. Bananas are important for unlocking the next level (each level requires an x number of bananas to become available) and also unlock power ups (there are 9 available). The power ups are very helpful although each lasts only for a short amount of time. As I mentioned earlier, bananas unlock power ups but to use them you’ll have to grab it while you’re playing by heading straight to the balloon that holds it. So keep your eyes open because you could miss it while you’re trying to bomb places. Power ups include more powerful bombs, a tool that shows you exactly where you bomb will land to help you score a direct hit and more.

Pricing & Availability

Apestorm: Full Bananas is available for the price of $0.99. Other than that there are no IAPs and the game’s functions and upgrades are totally free of charge.

Graphics & Sounds

As I mentioned in the prologue, I love steampunk and Apestorm is incorporating this unique style in a really good way. Both the color schemes and designs attest to that. The zeppelin mostly is the most obvious example. The 2D graphics look stunning and the animation is fluid. The cinematic at the beginning is also something that I enjoyed watching because of the way the characters looked and moved. The voice acting was also very professional and it’s not often that we see game apps using so much VA so it was a pleasant surprise.

The BG music is absolutely fantastic. It is powerful and enjoyable and my personal favorite is the music that plays after you lose. It’s so calm and sad and a fell in love with it immediately. I even lost on purpose to be able to listen to it quite a few times already.

Conclusion

 Apestorm is a game that requires time, precision and careful movements. It is fun but it is also hard and not everyone can enjoy it. It has a lot of interesting features and it certainly knows how to keep your interest going. It gets, however, also quite difficult the more you advance and it could get frustrating after a few failed tries. Let us know your thoughts on the comments below.

Download Apestorm for iOS devices here.

Download Apestorm for Android devices here.

Apestorm screenshots (above) and trailer (below)