Clear lines and save the universe in Sorus Shield

SORUS SHIELD ($1.99) by Marcus Dobler Applications UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is a strategic action puzzle game that is like a combination of Tetris and Candy Crush Saga (but not in a bad way). If you love puzzle games and want something different from the norm, then Sorus Shield is a good choice to add to your growing game collection.

Like many of you, one of my favorite things to do when I have some spare time is play games on my iOS device. While I’ve gone through hundreds of games during my time here at AppAdvice, my favorite genre continues to be the puzzle game, as I find these to be great workouts for my brain and they help keep me busy for a long time. I grew up with the classic Tetris, and it remains one of my favorite arcade titles to this day. Still, I love seeing what developers can do with classic game concepts to make them modern and fresh, and Sorus Shield has done just that.

The visuals in Sorus Shield are fairly simple and minimalistic, featuring grids of colored dots and round objects that represent light mines in space. The background of the game is nothing more than pitch black darkness with white flecks of moving stars, so the neon colors of the stages contrast nicely overall. Animations are smooth and fluid as the lines of mines clear out and everything gravitates towards the top of the screen, and the ambient soundtrack is rather pleasing on the ears. The developers have put together a fantastic visual and audible treat with Sorus Shield.

There are two game modes in Sorus Shield: Mission and Arcade. Mission is the mode where players progress through the game one level at a time, with the ability to earn up to three stars on each depending on performance. Arcade is like the classic Tetris formula, where it is an endless mode that gets progressively more difficult as you clear lines, and you try and clear out as many mines as you can before the grid fills up. There are several modes of difficulty that you can set for Arcade, though you must unlock them first by clearing out a certain line threshold first. Higher difficulties mean more points earned for lines and combos, but earning that right is harder than it looks.

Controls in Sorus Shield are simple, though it can get hectic at faster speeds. Each cluster of light mines comes in a shape that is similar to those found in Tetris. You can move them left or right by swiping your finger along the screen horizontally. If you need to rotate a piece for a better fit, just tap on the screen. To put the piece in place, swipe up. As you play, the grid will move down ever so slightly, and more light mines come in from the top of the screen — this gets faster as you go, though. The mines will only detonate when they are in a full line, which clears things out and the other mines fall upwards into place — this can lead to massive combos. While I found the controls to be easy enough to learn, having things go up instead of down threw me off for a bit, though I’m sure it’s just something you get over once you play enough of the game.

Even though I’ve only started playing the game not too long ago, I see a lot of replay value in Sorus Shield. The mission mode starts out simple enough but the objective of clearing out a certain number of lines before you can move forward is challenging, and you get bonus points for remaining space and time at the end of the stage. Arcade mode is reminiscent of classic Tetris, and honestly, who doesn’t love that? Plus, to make the game’s replay value last even more, there is Game Center support for leaderboards and achievements.

I’ve played a bit of Sorus Shield during the morning today, and honestly, I’m finding it hard to put down. I love the minimalistic visuals, the atmospheric music is delightful, controls are intuitive enough, and the gameplay is fun and challenging. Sorus Shield has taken a classic game concept and turned it upside down with some new twists, and it works out well here. This is one of those mobile games that you will keep coming back to whenever you have some downtime.

I recommend picking up Sorus Shield if you’re a fan of Tetris or just love a challenging strategy puzzle game. Sorus Shield is available on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for just $1.99. There are no in-app purchases either, so it’s a game that relies solely on skill.