There’s some great RTS games on the App Store, but some of them have so many features and so much content it can be overwhelming. Modern Conflict is nice because it’s simple to understand, fun to play and the games are short enough to be good on the go.
Modern Conflict is very similar to the super popular game Galcon. Basically you have bases with units in them and you have to use these units to move to neutral and enemy bases in order to take them over. Bases automatically increase in units over time until they reach the maximum units the base can contain. The bigger the base, the more units can be made.
Oval bases are helicopters, which are most effective against other helicopters and octagonal bases are tanks, which are most effective against other tanks. A helicopter can take over a tank base, but cannot move its units into that base: the units must go back to their original base and the same goes for when a tank tries to take over a helicopter base. There are also reinforced bases which cost the attacker more casualties when he attacks, as well as guns, which are attached to some bases, which shoot the attacker while he’s on the way to the base. In other words, there’s a mix of all kinds of bases but your main goal is to use the units you have to wipe the enemy off the map.
Even though my game explanation may not have been the best, the game really isn’t complicated at all. There’s a lengthy interactive tutorial which takes you through the game step by step, so you’ll have no trouble understanding how to play.
What I love about the game is how simple it is yet how challenging it can be. There’s some different features and twists, like the difference between tanks and helis, which are pretty easy to understand but make the game much more interesting. Plus the game features Crystal, a social network program similar to Open Feint and Plus+, which has leaderboards and achievements. And the controls of the game are easy and responsive- you tap on a base once to select half of its units, twice to select all the units, and then tap the base you want those units to go to. Simple controls like that make the game a lot less frustrating.
The game is decent when it comes to content. Modern Conflict has two modes: Campaign and Survival. In Campaign mode you work your way across the globe in 33 missions which increase in difficulty. There’s also three difficulty levels you can play at. Campaign mode could definitely be longer- it’s easy to play through and beat the game pretty quickly. In Survival mode you play against several opponents at once and you can upgrade your skills after each battle to make yourself better.
Overall Modern Conflict is well worth a dollar. It’s addicting, challenging, easy to understand and great on the go. The controls work very well and the game is simply entertaining. It’s not the most original idea in the world, Campaign mode could be longer and the game would be way better with online play, but the game is still worth the money as is. I recommend Modern Conflict to all RTS fans or those who are interested in the genre, as this is a great place to dip your toes in the RTS waters.