StarFront: Collision HD 1.0.0

Overview

Starfront: Collision HD is a proud tribute to the ever so popular Blizzard title Star Craft. It’s a Real-Time Strategy game that takes place in a universe where space marines and aliens race to build the strongest army. The game includes 17 missions that won’t offer anything new to PC players of the genre, but has the typical objective set that has dominated the genre for so many years. The fact that Starfront plays so closely to the PC Real-Time games on a mobile device is definitely something for the developers to boast about.

Starfront: Collision was released awhile back for the iPhone and was praised for its success in creating a title that did well to play like a PC version of a RTS title, unlike some other disappointing. *cough* Red Alert. While Starfront does well to play much more like a real-time game, there are still some compromises that had to be made to allow it to play well on a phone. Now we have the release Starfront HD: Collision HD which was built to play on the larger screen and boast higher visual quality on the devices that support HD display. Unfortunately the original compromises from the iPhone version are still here with the HD version. You’re basically looking at a HD port from phone to tablet, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The game plays much better on the big screen and the HD quality is a welcomed edition.

The game isn’t completely without faults, sadly most of them are minor and feel like they could have been addressed with the port to the more powerful device. Controls still seem to be a bit off, with blemishes that normally work much better on larger screen. The game takes roughly 4 or so hours to complete and you’re left with a conclusion that is slightly confusing and un-satisfying. Considering that this is a mobile version of a genre that has traditionally always been left to PC and rarely on consoles, it’s safe to say that this is still an excellent title that’s a must have for any fans of RTS games who own a iPad already. Starfront: Collision HD also offers multiplayer, which really adds to the feeling of getting a complete game.

Installation

Starfront: Collision is available on iOS and now Android. Installation can be done by downloading the game through the App Store on iOS or the Play Store on Android. Requires Android 2.1 or higher and iOS 3.1.3 or higher.

Interface

The interface works well for a Real Time Strategy game and sports a nice modern, easy to use interface. The upgrade to the larger screen feels like more could have been done with the additional space, but all in all it still works well and looks much better in HD.

Pros

• The feeling of playing a true RTS game on a mobile device in HD is a welcomed edition to the mobile app community.
• Full multiplayer adds almost unlimited replay value, especially while it stays un-contested as the top mobile RTS game.
• Plenty of upgrades and features to enjoy with a multitude of different units and buildings to create.

Cons

• None of the game functions were fixed or improved on from the original release.

Alternatives

As I mentioned in the overview, Starfront is un-contested in its genre, so I won’t even try to suggest another match for it. However, there are some other RTS-like games out there that are worth noting. Legendary Heroes is a DotA inspired game that relys on team-based tatics with RTS elements. Another game that comes closest to playing as a good RTS is Tropical Stormfront. It’s a army-themed game that sports a look of a Windows 95 game.

Conclusion

Despite the complaints of not improving on the original gameplay, Starfront remains the best RTS title on the mobile markets. With a 4 hour campaign, plenty of freedom in building up your army, and a fully featured multiplayer supported by Gameloft, it’s a great game for only $6.99 and is a must have for any fan of the genre who has a supported device.