Infinity Blade iPhone Review

Most iPhone games made for true gamers try and cram console controls onto a touch screen. But with Infinity Blade, the first iPhone game to use Unreal Engine 3, developer Chair Entertainment created a game that could only work with a touch screen. The result is a beautiful, addictive, and surprisingly deep game easily among the best available on iOS4 devices.

Infinity Blade begins with an assault on the castle of the God King. It's unclear why you have a beef with the God King, but he seems like a bad enough guy to merit a sword in the face. Unfortunately, you can't even get past his giant guardian, who quickly crushes you. The God King then drives the treasured Infinity Blade through your chest, absorbing your essence.

Twenty years later, you return as the son of the fallen hero, out for revenge. Battling your way through the castle, you fight against tougher enemies but have all the skills and items of your ancestor. Then the God King, who is far more powerful, beats you in combat and shoves his sword through your chest. And so your son eventually comes to the castle seeking revenge. So goes the endless loop of Infinity Blade, which manages to continue this cycle even after you've slain the God King.

I've never had an issue with the cartoony look of great games such as Angry Birds and Game Dev Story. These are the games that keep me hooked to my iPhone, but then again, I have never seen a game that looked as good as Infinity Blade. This is an absolute stunner for any handheld device and ushers in a new era of possibility for high-end graphics. I won't toss a bunch of graphical jargon your way -- let's just say that Infinity Blade uses a lot of the visual tricks often only seen in console games. It's a stunning achievement on both iPhone 4 and iPad (with the 3GS version also looking good, though not nearly as impressive).

Of course, a pretty package means nothing if the gameplay doesn't support it. Infinity Blade has that covered.

There are no virtual joysticks or buttons to press. You don't walk through the castle either. Instead, there are touch points for entrances to different rooms. You choose where to go, but the movements are scripted. Once in a room, you can maneuver the camera with your finger, searching for hidden loot and potions. There's always at least one enemy in a room waiting to test your mettle. Combat is where it's at.

Battles are designed to feel like you're in a sword fight. This isn't like most action games where you just run in, swing your sword wildly, and vanquish your foes with ease. Attacks are handled by swiping your finger across the screen in any direction and for any length. Infinity Blade detects it all and instantly translates it into combat moves. String a flurry of strikes together for effective combos. As you play through Infinity Blade multiple times (20-30 minutes per Bloodline), enemies get tougher. Soon enough, defense is the only way to survive.

Tap anywhere on the left or right third of the screen to dodge in that direction. Dodging is tough -- you have to really nail the timing. Blocking with your shield is handled by tapping anywhere on the center section of the screen. This is the easiest way to defend, but each block weakens your shield until it reaches its breaking point. Parrying might be the toughest of all, but the most satisfying. You must quickly judge the direction of your opponent's attack and strike in the opposite direction. Timing is critical. The deeper you get into Infinity Blade, the more you'll be forced to mix up your defensive moves – parrying, dodging, and blocking in varying orders to counter different attacks.

It's challenging, but a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. It can be frustrating at times, because Infinity Blade is almost too good at picking up even the tiniest swipes as attacks. Sometimes you'll want to dodge, but even the slightest drag of your finger registers as a blow instead. There's certainly a learning curve. But stick with it and Infinity Blade becomes one of the more rewarding experiences on iPhone.


To keep you playing, Infinity Blade has an RPG side to it. There are numerous pieces of armor, shields, helms, and weapons to tackle, each with its own unique properties. And every piece of equipment has a set amount of experience points already inside of it. As you use equipment in combat, you drain the XP from the item and into your character. It's an interesting way to handle gaining experience. Once an item is fully drained it's "Mastered" which doubles its resale value and gives you an extra stat point to spend on improving your character.

This unique leveling system encourages trying different items and can actually add to the difficulty. I was on Bloodline 7, fighting enemies a dozen levels greater than mine, and using the second weakest weapon in the game because I wanted to siphon off its experience points. This made combat tougher, but it was the best shot at quickly earning some bonus stat points to up my character's skills.

It only took a few hours before I'd exhausted every weapon and had trouble leveling-up my hero further, but Chair Entertainment plans to continue to support Infinity Blade after release with new items, new enemies, and new areas of the castle to explore.

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