liberal - to - play games often look appealing , but it ’s difficult to recognise at a glance whether the business organisation fashion model is pernicious and playfulness ruination , or sane and worth pumping a few bucks into . With Freemium Field Test , we ’ll take a recent gratis - to - play iOS game , put it through its paces , and let you know if it ’s really worth your time ( and money ) .
Stronger crates can take several hits to clear-cut later on , but at least those power - ups can facilitate .
“ RememberFuturama ? It ’s back — in teaser game form ! ”
I ca n’t help but rephrase that belovedThe Simpsonsbit about Alf and pogs , not only because the two animated favorites are sister series , but also because of the incredulous reaction you might have in both type . Why isFuturamaa liberal - to - child’s play game , particularly now , three days after it run short off the air for good ? And why a puzzle game ? Where ’s the link ?
As far as I can separate , there is no essential connexion here — besides build a secret plan around a pretty enough pun , that is . Futurama : Game of Drones ’ puzzler gameplay could be slapped with any licence , stain , or visual fashion and make about as much sense as aFuturamamatch - four mystifier . But here ’s the thing : Even though Game of Drones does n’t feel like a all important part of theFuturamauniverse , it ’s both a pretty in force puzzler and a surprisingly comic denotation of the serial . In both way , I ’m happily surprised .
The pitch
Game of Drones ’ better jocularity make you wish forFuturamato rise from the dead a 2nd meter .
Game of Drones is a color - matching teaser , tax you with connect up four or more pilotless aircraft robots of the same type to clear them from the board . There ’s little about the game that feels completely unique , although the hexangular grids and varying board configuration offer more assortment in stage design than you might see inCandy Crush Sagaand other similar game . By and large , though , your experience playing any other matching puzzle should translate over nicely .
Wooga ’s biz has a courteous regalia of earned power - ups that pop up if you clear five or more like - colored drones . You might snag one that clears one entire rowing or column , or maybe a bomb calorimeter that detonates twice to eliminate nearby any drone ; another can take out all drones of a certain color on the control panel at once . And multiple power - ups can often combine together to become supererogatory - effectual attacks that clear full sections of the board .
you’re able to spend up to $ 50 on packs of Bucks each time , with bonuses given the more you shell out .
Futurama keeps things lively by excite up the object : Sometimes you ’re tasked with clearing a determined number of certain colored drones before run out of moves , while other levels ask you to destroy a bunch of crate ( by absent drones adjacent to them ) or guide pizza pie boxwood to the bottom by clearing a path . You might also clear drone while combat back a growing infestation of green blob , or business deal turns against a boss character — and so on and so away . Furthermore , each unexampled chunk of levels is act by a different quality ( like Bender or Leela ) , offering a new special attempt you may use during each level .
As of this writing , you ’ll find 200 levels in Game of Drones , with more promised down the line , and many of the missions are bookended by dialogue and abbreviated comic - like interactions between the familiar characters . I did n’t carry aFuturamafree - to - play puzzler secret plan to have anywhere near the level of sting wit and caustic remark of the informant cloth , but Game of Drones is really funny at times . It ’s not all important canon material , but fan should apprise the income tax return visit .
The catch
Many of the boosts are alarmingly expensive , but luckily , Futurama ’s trouble does n’t empale too intensely .
Thankfully , there is n’t much standing in the fashion of Futurama ’s fun — at least by typically objectionable freemium standard . Game of Drones has a lives organization , with five hearts provide at the outset and one run out each time you fail a stage . They recharge at a rate of 30 minutes apiece , which is moderately standard for the genre , and you spend premium Bucks to tot up a few moves and preserve a stage rather than fail . However , here ’s the welcome part : Game of Drones is n’t nearly as difficult as , say , a Candy Crush game .
True , there are times in which you might beat your head against a microscope stage several times , strain to image out the correct scheme ahead . And there were instances in which I give way the same stage repeatedly , only a move or two away from potentially enlighten it . That ’s all distinctive musical style poppycock . The difference is , unlike with something likeCandy Crush Jelly Saga , the betting odds do n’t seem so hugely stack against you that some stages seem near - impossible . A moderate amount of persistence should push you through any roadblocks .
At least that was the fount with the 60 - plus stages I played through before spending any money — and I only grabbed an in - app leverage for the purposes of this article . Game of Drones has numerous premium rise available , some used at the start of the leg and others available within , and they ’re all pretty costly after you burn through your couple freebee of each . Boosts be about $ 1 to $ 3 from each one and are sell in three - packs to bulge out , although pricier parcel can save a picayune bit of money . Three Pearl Buck for a single encouragement ? I ’d never spend that .
The Wheel of Robots rent you learn a television ad every 10 minutes to gain ground free play or buck .
Luckily , the boost never feltnecessaryduring the many 60 minutes that I play . I eventually pushed through all of the baffling stage I run into without spending a dime , and when I finally spent $ 5 on a pack of Bucks , I bought a boost and still turn a loss the first stage I used it on — they’re not a eloquent bullet solution , and they do n’t only make up for a lack of strategy and measured play . you could win without the boosts , and you could surely lose with them : that was a reassuring realization .
The verdict
Is Futurama : Game of Drones an essential frolic for fans of the show ? Not on the button — the story is thin , even if the caper are prima , and the mystifier gameplay is n’t unco distinctive . In other words , you ’re not neglect anything critical if you prefer not to take on it .
But if you do roleplay Game of Drones , you might be pleasantly surprised . It ’s solidly fun and has enough gameplay salmagundi to stick interesting , plus it ’s not offensively misbalanced as many free - to - play puzzlers can be . TheFuturamaaspect of it may not make or break the plot , but it total a comforting and conversant level to the experience . match puzzles might not be an obvious fit for the dealership , but Game of Drones wee it work rather well .
