A tactics game without Marth? Really? We’re kidding, there are a ton of those on iTunes! Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion feels like Fire Emblem since it has a rock-paper-scissors style weapon system (infantry with swords > polearms), but it’s more of a straight strategy game than a full fledged strategy RPG.
The key to this battle system is linking units together and creating an impenetrable wall of warriors. Formations with two (called a Deuce) or three (a Trine) have bonuses on the battlefield, but like pieces on a game board they’re harder to move. You get bonuses for pairing units together, but they can only attack in one direction without any penalties. That means they’re vulnerable to being flanked. Aside from the bits of story, everything in Ravenmark happens at warp speed so you can complete a map on a bus ride.
Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion, the freshman game from Singapore based developer Witching Hour, might not have the same presentation flair as other iOS titles, but the tactic system is pretty deep. At its core, Ravenmark is about positioning units like a tabletop game. And that’s probably because Ravenmark started off as a tabletop game.
Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion is available on iTunes now for $4.99.
