Review: Fastar! - Fight Angry Squares: The Action RPG!
by Staff Writer
July 30, 2010
Overview
Fastar! is an acronym for Fight Angry Squares: The Action RPG! The game is a parody of the typical Role Playing Game in multiple ways, and is geared for extreme action which is rather unusual even for the most regular action RPGs. You play as a boy with a big sword, and you progress through a world of angry squares.
Features
Rather than one big open world RPG, or an eight hour journey, you’re given 24 different game modes. There are three different difficulties for campaign modes, and then there are eight special objective modes, and twelve modes of facing one specific color block varying in size. Every level is scored based on the time taken to complete it, and there are online high scores for each game mode.
As you progress you can upgrade your attack and defense as well as restoring HP, and you get one spell type per game with nine choices including fiar, liyf, and sley. There are four control schemes for movement giving you tilt, swipe, virtual buttons, and one hand play.
The Good
Fastar has many positives, but the gameplay stands above them all by providing so much fun. The second you start playing the game will bring a smile to your face, and it won't vanish no matter how hard you try. It's a simple mechanic that is easy to pick up, but so hard to put down.
The game is made for everyone from the extreme novice who's never heard of an RPG to veterans of the genre. You simply move left and right, and tap to swipe your sword at various squares. The harder difficulties and later modes are perfect to challenge any player, and by starting out slowly in the other modes even those new to the game can handle the later difficulties.
You encounter a square, who is no doubt angry, and you attack causing damage of certain points while the square tries to do the same as you. Each battle is mere seconds, but you will dish out a lot of damage, and sometimes take a lot of damage in the process. It's so free flowing and action packed there is never a dull moment.
The game is made to combine the fun loving speed of casual endless games with the RPG genre while still giving you concrete goals and objectives. The game is based on time, but you also have to survive the various square attacks to simply post a time to the online high score tables. There are the classic RPG elements of leveling up your attack, defense, and health and you even get to choose different spells that are essential to survival in all modes past the tutorial.
With all the different modes there are more hours to spend with this game than most RPGs in the App Store. There is a high replay factor as well as the modes go relatively quickly, and you'll lose multiple times needing to retry. The game offers such a connection that you'll want to complete every mode, and you'll enjoy every second of it.
The game has an outstanding premise that will make you smirk and laugh if you're even remotely familiar with RPGs. Finally a game that doesn't take itself too seriously, and can add humor to an outstanding gameplay mechanic. It's great encountering a gigantic red square who dings you for 30 damage, or even encountering absolutely nothing, and the game telling you about it. When you change worlds in a particular game mode it's simply a dotted line going from the forest to the sand.
The visual style offers some nice cartoon artwork that fits perfectly with the humorous premise. There can be a lot of action on screen with multiple squares, various attacks, as well as spells that flow effortlessly, and are great animations to see. There is a varied action pack soundtrack that changes from world to world.
The Bad
At the most basic level there is receptive gameplay as you're simply moving along tapping to swipe. Once you get into the bigger squares with different attacks or any of the alternate game modes that idea is thrown out the window. It's a true fight for survival that will challenge you, and you will need to change you fighting style to survive.
The Verdict
Fastar is the most fun I've had in an iPhone game in a long time. The gameplay is nonstop action and nonstop fun that will give you hours and hours of enjoyment. The game is designed extremely well in every aspect and that is coupled with a humorous premise.
Fastar is an absolute must for only $0.99, and is worth so much more. This is a game everyone can, and should enjoy.
