Cube Smash, A 3-D Arcade Shooter Without The Noise
Cube Smash ($0.99) by Capital j Media LLC a universal app, is a challenging arcade shooter game. Line up the shot and knock down as many cubes as you can while flying through white space.
While visually simple, this three-demensional cube shooter is highly detailed in its graphic design and gameplay. Your goal is to smash the cubes out of existence by shooting at them with your own cubes. If you match the colors that you shoot, you will recharge your energy faster. You can also obliterate the entire board with a special bomb. You only have two of them, so use them wisely.
The challenge of this game is in the aiming technique. It works the reverse of what the brain wants to do. To aim left, you must swipe from right to left on your screen. All directional swipes are the reverse of what you might normally do. It is disconcerting at first, but you quickly get used to it.
I have an issue with Cube Smash. The game itself is $0.99, but if you want “extra credits” that allow you to continue from where the game ended it will cost you an additional $0.99. You can replay the game over and over, but with only one life, you will have to start over unless you purchase those credits. The first time you play the game, you get two credits but once they are used, you don’t get more than one without paying for it. You also have to pay for additional bombs.
Now, I don’t mind in-app purchases. In fact, I think they are a great idea. You can decide for yourself how much you want to invest in your gameplay. You have more control. My problem with this game is how the in-app purchases are presented to you. Right after you lose your two credits and every time you lose the game afterward, you receive a pop-up message asking if you want to purchase more credits. If you tap the bomb button after you have exhausted your two free ones, your whole game stops and the in-app purchase window pops up. It seems like the only reason the game was developed is so that the creators can make money off of players.
Overall, this universal app is very challenging and entertaining. It is fun to play and has highly detailed graphics. If you don’t mind being asked if you want to buy more stuff every time you lose a game, then you will enjoy it. Hopefully, the developers will rethink their design and incorporate the in-app purchases in a less desperate way.
