Review: Helsing's Fire - Show The Monsters The Light
by Staff Writer
July 15, 2010
Overview
Helsing’s Fire presents a unique puzzle mechanic in the world of Dr. Helsing with creatures of the dark including Dracula, werewolves, skeletons, and more. In each level your goal is to get rid of the various colored monsters with only a torch and tonics at your disposal. You place the torch, and try to cast light on to as many of the same colored monsters as you can, and use that colored tonic to kill them.
As you advance the monsters have shields, and you have up to three colored tonics. If you hit a monster with a different colored tonic they become stronger. The game features a storyline with Dr. Helsing, his assistant Raffton and Count Dracula as well as the occasional monster.
Features
The main campaign mode features three worlds, Abandoned Village, Haunted Forest, and Cursed Castle with 30 levels per world. That’s 90 levels in total which includes three boss battles. There is also a survival mode for each world, and there are online high scores and achievements via Crystal.
The Good
Helsing’s Fire has a wonderfully unique puzzle mechanic that will provide challenge and enjoyment for a long time to come. The game starts simple enough with one tonic, and simply trying to get every monster in the light of your torch. Soon you’ll be facing three colored monsters with shields that fight back. The path from simple to hard elevates in difficulty perfectly so you’re completely prepared to handle every puzzle along the way, but still be challenged. The puzzle is unlike anything you’ve played before which is quite remarkable with so many styles available. You simply place the torch, and analyze how the light will cast depending on the structures in the level.
The game allows for slight adjustments of the torch so you can alter the slivers of light to hit only specific monsters. It’s always a challenge deciding which tonics to use in a certain order on specific groups of enemies. As you progress you’ll end up facing 13 types of monsters all with different abilities to constantly adjust the puzzle.
The campaign mode is extremely deluxe, and every puzzle offers variation so you’ll truly face 90 different challenges. You’ll want to make it through the campaign as you’re connected with the style that you won’t seem to be able to get enough of. There is a survival mode on top of that which is based on time taken, and maintaining time to be added for each new wave.
The boss battles are action based puzzles as the boss moves around the level, fires at you, and never stays put. You’ll need to be quick with your torch movement, and deploying of tonics. Once you make it through the entire campaign it will be such a rewarding experience which is relatively rare for iPhone games.
The game style is extraordinary with the 19th century view on monsters and such with an art style to go with it. The included storyline is outstanding, and is quite rare for a puzzle game, and warrants continuing through the puzzles. The witty banter by Helsing, Raffton, Count Dracula, and the monsters will bring a smile to your face time and time again.
The design of the game is outstanding with the various light effects, and design of the levels. The game is oozing with polish, and you’ll love witnessing it as much as you’ll love playing it. An outstanding soundtrack is also included which fits the game perfectly, and you can’t think of playing the game without it.
