Alexandria Bloodshow (iOS) Review

Alexandria Bloodshow is an iOS game published by SEGA Corporation. It is available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (with iOS 4.1 or later). This is the second in the Bloodshow series and stands as the sequel to Samurai Bloodshow, but more spiritually than an actual continuation of the first game. It’s a card-based tower defense game that allows the gamer to take control of either an ancient Egyptian or Greek army. The game finally answers the question plaguing humanity since time immemorial, who would win in a fight between the Egyptians and the Greeks? In reality, the victor depends on several factors: whether the user pays to unlock the full version of the game, whether the dynastic Egyptians or the bloodthirsty democracy of the Greeks aligns with their personal preference, or whether or not they jibe with the gods Ra or Zeus.

Story

There is not really a story here per se. The game does not attempt to explain why the Egyptian slave army is fighting the presumably phalanx heavy Grecian army. This is probably for the best because short of some weird cosmic entities playing a bizarre Chess game of sorts to see which of these armies would win in a grudge match or some deep historical precedent of a similar battle occurring, the game does not really need to set up why these two are fighting. Suffice it to say that if there needs to be a reason for this entire Grecian and Egyptian conflict … let’s just imagine that something went horribly awry in an episode of Quantum Leap where Scott Bakula stepped on a butterfly in Yemen.

Gameplay

Alexandria Bloodshow’s gameplay combines the basics of card-based games with the strategy of tower defense games. The gamer at the beginning of the campaign, regardless of if they choose Egypt or Greek; start out with a deck full of basic solider cards. The first mission is simple; there is one row where enemies shamble down while the gamer sets up cards on a square to defend their General or King. This serves to orient the player to the mechanics of the game.

The player starts off with three cards in their hand that they can place anywhere on the map. To draw new cards the user needs to wait for gold to accumulate (it accumulates during the entire time of play). Then they can spend the gold to draw one, two or three cards. Each draw costs a certain amount of gold. Obviously one card is a small amount while three cards are more costly to draw, but each extra card is at a discount from a single draw.

After the first few missions, the board opens up to a five by five square. Any units the player places on the board can move around for a small cost of gold. Each unit has its own unique movement set. Each level has five difficulties and each difficult offer a new reward for the player at the end. The rewards range from increasing the amount of cards the player’s deck can hold to new units that can help strengthen the player’s forces. At the end of each level, the user can select a mystery card from a choice of five cards and the card can range from whatever unit the player has unlocked at the time.

One of the improvements Alexandria Bloodshow has made from its predecessor is that when a unit slips past the player’s defenses it is not an automatic loss. The General or King in Alexandria has health and can defend itself for a while giving the player time to recoup in order to save themselves from a crushing defeat. Another benefit is that the General or King now has a set of techniques that they can employ. A three-level technique gauge located in the bottom right corner fills up over the course of play. The player can unleash any of three helpful techniques depending on how full the gauge is. The first level is a basic fix like a minor healing spell or a charge, while the second level can boost gold accruement or attack speed and the third level offers the tippy top saving throws like a storm that buffets all enemy units on the board or a full healing spell. These all help in a pinch.

Graphics

Much like how the graphics of Samurai Bloodshow drew upon traditional Japanese art styles to bring to life the samurai units of the game, Alexandria Bloodshow draws upon the iconic art styles of each respective culture. The Egyptian art style is exactly what one would expect. The style is done like Egyptian Murals. The Greek side of the graphics is in the style of Grecian pottery painting and captures the feel of it extremely well. The graphics look great in their simplicity and hit the mark of what the developers were aiming for. However, the Greek art is far more appealing overall (which makes sense since it is only in the unlocked version of the game).

Overall

Alexandria Bloodshow plays everything extremely straight there is nothing overtly crazy or weird about it. The units are all authentic to the armies they represent. Frankly, that is a bit disappointing. It would have been cool if they used a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. For instance if the Greeks had a Socrates unit that had an area effect where he could question the enemy units’ motives for fighting, eventually sending them off the battle field with no will to fight. Alternatively, if one of the Egyptian’s ultimate techniques was calling on Anubis to smote enemy units with its jackal head sending them to the underworld (to be fair there is a promise of mummies, but it is so deep within the game that it is hard to say if most gamers will arrive at that point). Admittedly, that tone might not appeal to a majority of gamers.

Alexandria Bloodshow is not a quick game, levels even when sped up take several minutes to play through. In addition, to ensure that units do not die quickly, the player must keep an eye on them upgrading them before their health runs out. Thus, this game requires attention and micromanaging. In the end, it is not the type of game one generally associates with iOS, which generally features quick and frenetic gameplay lasting seconds. This makes Bloodshow a time investment, but makes it perfect for playing during a lunch break or during a long bus or train ride. Yet since Alexandria Bloodshow’s gameplay is the main draw, it is worth investing some time into it to take advantage of some of the depth and strategy it offers.

Ultimately, it is worth downloading and trying out the free version, which features the Egyptian campaign to see if the gameplay has any appeal. If the Egyptian side of the game sucks the player in then it is worth spending the $3.99 to unlock the full version and get the Greek campaign because it is much better (the starting cards are a bit better and the art style is more appealing). The game features a Campaign, VS Mode and a Head-to-Head mode. Therefore, it offers a style of play for all types of gamers. Lastly, Alexandria Bloodshow like the majority of iOS games features micro-transactions in the form of card packs. Thus, the good or rare cards will cost the player extra. However, whether or not the player ever purchases these card packs, Alexandria Bloodshow is a solid game that is at times frustrating, but addicting.

Overall Ratings – Alexandria Bloodshow (iOS)

Gameplay:	7/10
Graphics:	7/10
Sound:	7/10
Replay Value:	8/10
OVERALL SCORE:	73%