Warhammer 40K: Storm of Vengeance Review (iOS)

Warhammer 40K: Storm of Vengeance is a blessing to iOS enthusiasts who are in love with the popular franchise. But holding a brand name and transporting it into another world is a tricky thing, and asking a mobile or tablet user to shell out $4.99 from the get-go is not a great way to win over the average gamer. After shelling out some cash, I was hoping this Warhammer lived up to its price tag.

If you've spent hours addicted to Plants vs. Zombies, then Warhammer 40K: Storm of Vengence should be right up your alley. It's a basic lane defense title which gives you the chance at managing a troop of Dark Angels or Orks. The key to completing each stage is to capture your opponent's territory on the other side of the lane and also keep your own home grounds protected.

Under the Dark Angel side, comms are structures that generate power to build your select fighters, and placing more comms on the field will give you much more revenue to spend on your units. Drop Pods are your foot soldiers and the quickest warriors to create, with the Rhino and Stormraven serving as your ground and flight units. The Orks operate under the same dynamic, and they simply use different names for their units (i.e. the Orks' version of a Drop Pod is called a Warboss Hut).

Once you create enough power to build a certain unit, a card will pop up on your base signifying that soldier has been created. Even if your fighter has been created, it costs energy to place them on the field, so having more than one comm (or in the Orks' case, a Bad Moon Camp) in operation is the best strategy for battle.

Storm of Vengeance's best asset is its upgrade system. Whenever your squad levels up, you can spend a skill point that can either be applied to upgrading your troops or enhancing your tactical acumen. Having a military and intelligence base to spread out your skill points gives this title an added level of strategy. The diversity of the troops also keeps the game entertaining, as you'll eventually have to figure out which fighters can take out your enemies' bases in the most efficient manner. Even though space marines are the cheapest units, they are the weakest members of your group. As a member of team Dark Angel, I prefer deploying as many Stormravens as possible.

Even though the Dark Angels and Orks both have over fifty missions to explore, paying $4.99 for a lane defense adventure is a bit too steep of a price to play. Several add-ons are also available for $2.99 each, and although this may seem cheap compared to what one would pay for a console title, one has to consider the iOS market. Since Storm of Vengeance's murky graphics aren't exactly eye catching and its universe doesn't have the depth of a role playing game experience, you're shelling out coin for a Plants Vs. Zombies experience with a few munitions thrown in.

This review was completed with a purchased copy of Warhammer 40K: Storm of Vengeance for iOS.