Price: $0.99
Version: 1.1
App Reviewed on: iPad
iPad Integration Rating: 




User Interface Rating: 




Re-use Value Rating: 




Overall Rating: 




The Squadron is one of those games that wow you the moment you look at the screenshots on the app store. The promise of blending path drawing with tower defense creates an air of mythical game mechanics. Does this blending provide a magical experience, or does it go down in flames?
The Squadron combines path drawing mechanics with a bit of tower defense. Draw a route for your planes while defending an ancient artifact in the center of the screen. To help you on this mission you will acquire fighters and bombers throughout your gaming session. When the enemy becomes too much, you can use the power of the artifact to nuke the enemy from existence.
Of course it cannot be that all simple. The planes at your disposal have varying qualities. Heavy bombers will take out tiger tanks as though they were punching through wet Kleenex. All that power comes at the cost of crawling across the screen at a snails pace.
There is also the air traffic control to take into consideration. Two planes are fine and dandy. Five or six will have you scrambling to keep each plane in its own area. Inevitably the game gets the best of you and you forget a plane that has gone rogue. Thus ends the tale of two war birds.
Currently there are two maps to play on. The details in the two map areas you play are spectacular. The first scenario takes place in a forest. Dirt paths look as though they were trampled through the forest, while areas around the artifact contain remnants of ruins destroyed long ago. The trees carry an almost photo-realism that really makes the stage pop.
The second scenario takes place in an aquatic setting. This is where the little details really shine. The water flickers and moves as though a gently breeze were blowing on a sunny day. The ocean floor is visible as the ocean meets the islands. The same tree details from the forest carry over here.
It is exciting to dream about what the developers will kick out next. Even the menus carry a rusty metal plate and rivet look. Text that appears to be ripped out of a 1943 battle plan round out this stellar presentation.
All that graphical splendor comes at the cost of framerate drops. Don’t set off a nuke unless you are prepared for your iPad to feel the fallout. The game comes to a crawl while the smoke clears the screen. This leads to planes crashing into one another and a big kick to the face of the presentation. The framerate issues only exacerbate this frustration when the enemy finally kicks your ass and the game comes to an end.
The Squadron provides a lot of promise. The game released with one map, and a free update provided a totally new experience with the second map. Let’s hope the developers continue to kick out more content to take this game into the halls of gaming addiction fame. The Squadron is available for your visual pleasures now on the iPad. Look for it to drop on the iPhone and iPod soon!

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