Review: Bailout Wars - Plus Video
by Staff Writer
November 10, 2009
Overview
Bailout Wars is a topical take on Castle Defense. The gameplay is the same as you would expect in Castle Defense where multiple enemies charge towards your castle attempting to destroy it. This is gameloft’s first $0.99 title. Bailout Wars provides various bankers, stock brokers, and CEOs as the enemies and the White House full of money is the castle. The various enemies take sums of money, and your overall health is the remaining bailout. You earn money for every banker you dispatch of, and use the money to buy upgrades to your defense.
Features
One gameplay mode is included which is basically endless level survival mode. You just try to defend your bailout for as long as you can with more and increasingly difficult enemies. Local stats, scores, and achievements are included, but nothing online. There are multiple ways to interact with the enemies. You can simply flick them into the air per usual, slam them to the ground, shake to drop their clothes, hold to pop them, and more. There are five types of enemies: bankers, stock brokers, VP of Acquisitions (with vacuum), High Risk Investor (in helicopter), and CEO (huge). Also included are three additions to the White House that can be upgraded multiple times. You can add a sniper that picks off ground and air units. Also there is a tank that fires automatically, and you can tap on it for a special attack. Finally there is Uncle Sam which activates the doomsday laser.
The Good
The theme is good as are the sounds and visuals, but the main reason to pick up this game is the gameplay. Castle defense will always have a special place in my heart, and it has found the perfect home on the iPhone. Gameloft’s topical take on tower defense is a good game because it’s so much fun to play. It is great tossing the bankers up in the air or smashing them into the ground. Better yet is tapping on them to make them pop, or tapping on the VPs and watching them explode. Bringing helicopters down is also enjoyable, and the best is bringing the huge CEOs down by tossing the bankers at him or using the additions to the White House. As you progress the play becomes quite difficult with tons of action on screen. You will have to face multiples of all five types of enemies at once, and the game really speeds up. The CEO, helicopters, and the bankers with briefcases require more attention than a simple flick.
The theme of the bailout and all of the people grubbing for money may be a little dated. I found it to be wonderful, and loved how it was incorporated into every aspect of the game. For me, the bailout is something that is part of American History now and won’t soon be forgotten, and hasn’t become dated after just mere months.
The game has great animations and artwork. From the design of each enemy to the White House and Uncle Sam it’s very finely detailed. When the bankers hit the ground they crush flat into it, and there are great facial expressions depending on your interactions. The explosions are top notch from blasting vacuum VPs or bringing down helicopters, to the tank firing and huge laser.
Included is an upbeat spin on the presidential music, with some added twists. It’s a pleasant tune to listen to that is combined with multiple sound effects. From banker wails to massive explosions with multiple gruffs, and blasts in between there are tons of sound effects to be heard.
