The Settlers ($6.99)
Version – 1.1.1
REVIEW – “An awesome real-time strategy game for your iPhone!”
There are so many games available in the App Store. Most of them are fairly simple and are designed to be played for a few minutes and then set down. “The Settlers” by Gameloft manages to maintain simple gameplay, but at the same time create a deep gaming experience that will have even the most avid gamer working hard to make their way to victory.
As with most games released by Gameloft the music and sound effects in this game are top notch, especially when you consider that it is essentially a phone game. Once you are ready to play the main game all you have to do is touch the 
screen and then touch the “Play” button. There are four different groups that you can control in this game. You will start out as “Rome” and get the opportunity to unlock the other three groups by completing all of the missions for that particular group.
The story in this game is very simple. It also gives detailed instructions and teaches you everything you will need to know to complete the game in the first few levels. As you play you will see pop-up windows with instructions as well as descriptions of how things work in your 
village. If you are new to Real-Time Strategy games the basic idea is that you build up your city, recruit troops and conquer your enemies.
The main game screen is fairly simple, but allows you to do everything you would expect from a RTS game. In the lower left corner is a small “building” icon. From here you can select all kinds of different structures to build such as gold mines, ore 
refineries, barracks, etc. It can be a little intimidating at first how many buildings there are, but you get it figured out very quickly, and it adds a lot of depth to the game play!
In the lower right corner is your people icon. From here you can search for units to control, recruit new units, and a variety of other options. If at any time you need to stop for a 
second all you have to do is touch the pause button in the upper left corner. This will take you to a menu where you can review your current objectives, save and load your game, change the in-game options and even get help or end your current mission!
If I were to have one complaint, I think that the “introduction” to the game is too long. It would have been better if they had just made a help file for you to look at for instructions. With that being said, you do learn a lot of intricacies about how the game works by going through the early levels. Having played a lot of RTS games in the past though, it did take longer than I would have liked it to get through the “tutorial” levels and into the real game.
If you have been waiting for a great Real-Time Strategy game for your iPhone or iPod Touch, then look no further. This is one of, if not the best one that I have played on my iPhone. Not only that, but it comes at a very reasonable price as well! Most games of this quality go for more like $9 or $10, but “The Settlers” is selling right now for just $6.99! If you are an avid gamer, you should definitely check out this app. So why are you still here? Go and download your copy today!
- David H.
Download Now!
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Developer – Gameloft
URL: http://www.gameloft.com/iphone-games/the-settlers
DEVELOPERS NOTES
Plunge into this adaptation of the critically acclaimed PC game, widely popular for offering a well balanced mix of strategy and building management, now with optimized gameplay for iPhone / iPod touch.
- Gather resources and build a lively and bustling town in an ancient world. Your decisions and skill in managing and protecting your settlement will determine its fate.
- The strength of your units depends on how effectively you have built up your settlement and paid attention to the economic relationships within it.
- Three nations to govern: Conquer new territories, defeat rival armies, and establish an empire with your warriors that encompasses lands and continents.
- A huge number of parameters to manage: Dozens of building’s types, settlements, soldiers, raw materials, and much more.
- An accessible game for everybody, thanks to extensive tutorial missions and multi-touch gameplay, ideal for strategy games.
Download Now!
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© 2009, Davidh. All rights reserved.