It’s worth keeping in mind that just about all of these
employ in-app purchases of some kind or another. Many gamers would much rather
pay a flat fee up-front, but we’re writing this for the cheapskates. We’re also
trying to avoid “lite” games, since you won’t get a lot of replay value by only
having the first couple of levels and being pestered to upgrade to buy the
rest.
Without further ado, here’s our list. Don’t be shy to sing
out in the comments with your favorite free games for the iPad.
RAD Soldiers quickly replaced Hero Academy as my favorite
turn-based strategy game thanks to its modern feel and deep customization
options. Players build out a squad of deadly mercenaries and fight over missile
crash sites at locales across the globe (for some reason), earn cash, and spend
it on recruiting new members. Game maps are sectioned off as a grid, and are
riddled with low cover and high cover locations which can mitigate incoming
fire. Each character has a certain number of action points they can use in a
turn, a selection of special abilities, and health bar that varies in size by
character. You can chew on single-player challenges for awhile to earn rewards,
or you can take the fight online against other players. Expansion packs can be
bought through in-app purchases, or you can pick up the in-game currency to
fast track your mercenary outfit’s gear.
RAD Soldiers is a fine mix of strategy and action, with
plenty of progression and customizability to boot.
Spaceteam is a decidedly unique local multiplayer game.
Players gather together with their iPads and iPhones and connect over either
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. They’re then presented with ridiculously-labeled spaceship
consoles, with all manner of sliders, knobs, switches, and buttons. Each player
then has a message flashing telling them which control needs to be tweaked in
order to save their ship from exploding. The thing is, that control could be on
anybody’s device, so what ends up happening is everybody starts barking
ludicrous orders at one another with straight-faced urgency. Random events can
have players in a panic trying to wipe goop off their controls while going
through these episodes.
Spaceteam will be one of the most fun party games you play,
and thanks to cross-platform compatibility, even your Android-toting friends
can join in.
Plants vs. Zombies is a venerable iOS franchise for a good
reason. The bizarre premise of protecting your back lawn from hordes of undead
with sunflowers is certainly part of that, but there’s a lot of tactical
thinking in terms of plant choices before the attack begins, and placement. In
Plants vs. Zombies 2, you’re taken back in time to defend against zombies
dressed in era garb, and try out all sorts of new mechanics. The zombies are
getting smarter, and challenge your reaction speed in a number of ways, though
you also have a whole new complement of plants to use. Stages also have new
terrain features to keep every round fresh. Plant food can be collected to
super-charge any plant when things get especially hairy, plus new gesture-based
powers can help you clear the bigger waves.
All in all, Plants vs. Zombies 2 presents deep strategic
gameplay in a fun, colorful package.
by Simon Sage
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