Pyramus is a real-time strategy take on War of the Worlds, instead this time the humans are taking on the invading aliens in space. Armed with different ships, you must strategically maneuver and blast your way to victory to ensure mankind lives to see another day. Our world is always worth saving, but is Pyramus worth playing?

The biggest tip I can offer is to fully appreciate the tutorial that serves as the first section of the title. Pyramus doesn't make it easy to control your space ships, and blindly running into your enemies and firing away won't do a darn thing except immediately get you killed. Any RTS worth its salt requires a healthy bit of analysis, and the quicker you learn the intricacies of flying and attacking in space, the better. My first hour was wasted watching aliens (they're the ones with the red health bar), passing my guys and invading my territory. Once they reach the area you're assigned to protect, the game's over and your mission has failed.

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My favorite aspect of the game lies in the special skills or firepower that is made available to each craft. For example, the gunship has hyper speed mode and the ability to unleash a trail of poisonous gas during its flight. The human support ship wins my most valuable player award, as it can send a healing beam to damaged ships within its radius. It's especially helpful as backup support when your fighter crafts get into a standstill dogfight with the adversary. Having the chance to heal while firing into the ship usually guarantees a victory.

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When certain level starts, the aliens may actually be off screen, and to see their exact location, hold your finger down on the device and move it towards any direction. All this extra space gives Pyramus added depth, but if you want to try and get everything in the frame, just pinch your fingers and you'll get a pretty accurate view of the galactic battlefield.

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Certain stages will take a lengthier time to complete, and depending on your RTS acumen, figuring out the proper strategy can almost be as difficult as navigating your ships. But, wasting time in Pyramus isn't such a bad thing, especially since the world it creates contains a certain dreamlike and hypnotic quality. With its muted color scheme coupled with an unadorned and meditative music score, this title really has me in a bit of a trance.

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Although many of Pyramus' charms are subtle, don't let the lack of flash fool you. It's a solid RTS that should gradually win you over once you master the controls. The only drawback is that there are 20 missions in the game, and hopefully the developers will release extra content for a future update. Besides that minor complaint, Pyramus is a worthy purchase for $0.99, even if space isn't your final frontier.

 

App Store Link: Pyramus for iPhone & iPad | By Hunted Cow Studios | Price: $0.99 | Version: 1.0 | 110 MB | Rating 9+

7.0 out of 10 arcade sushi rating

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