Good game but worth the price? – Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy Review

Gameplay - You give commands to you units and then watch the next few seconds unfold as each sides instructions are carried out then continue in this fashion until objectives are achieved or failed. Similar to Frozen Synapse but far more in depth as you have multiple energy assignment options (engines, weapons or shield systems) per ship, attack options per ship and you assign ship movement in 3 dimensional combat. It sounds like it should be complicated but it's very intuitively set up. It helps, though, to watch a "let's play" YouTube video before getting started as it helps you to jump right in but tips given in game work pretty well also. NOTE: THIS NOT A 4X GAME. There is no exploring or expanding (research trees etc..) it is a tactical combat simulator. Graphics/audio - well done here no complaints. I'm running an iPad Air 2 and have it on the best visual settings with no issues. Decent space epic appropriate background music. Sound fx are nothing crazy special but they do the job. Would be nice to have some of the story driven through either audio or video instead of reading. For $15 you expect a certain premium level of delivery which this game doesn't meet. Stability/controls - only been playing for an hour but no crashes so far. Controls are so well done considering the sheer number of options you have. Pros - A unreal amount of control given through a very thoughtfully laid out interface that makes it a easy game to pick up. A sense of growth and development in your armada is achieved by the ability to buy new ships based off of credits earned (I think) base off of past performance. Cons - Not sure this game is worth $15. it seems like you get a game of skirmishes strung together by a (so far) forgettable text based narrative. For the most expensive game I've purchased to date on iOS I expect a premium level of delivery. If there's going to be a story, journal entries should being read with a voice actor at the very least if the devs are too cheap to spring for some proper animations. Someone earlier reviewed that this seems like a incomplete game and I agree to a point: the stuff between battles just seems unnecessary. There's nothing there to make me care about the story. It would be nice to have a multi path random system with a general over arching story a la FTL rather than a detailed bland story with text narrative the player doesn't really end up caring about. Not sure if I just haven't gotten there yet but there doesn't seem to be any environmental components like nebulas impacting visibility or target-ability of ships or asteroid belts to either hide in or risk injury or even simply a rock to hide behind. This makes both the settings and tactics seem more bland then they should be. Even if they were just for decoration it would be nice to have something besides the empty space
Review by j_jim_j on Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy.