Huuuge Games and Double Star’s Bow Land brings action to a whole new level. This action strategy game simplifies fighting with one-handed controls. Each level creates new challenges and enemies. Race your way to the end and defeat the unique boss to move onto another level while unlocking new skills along the way.
Pluck the Arrow
Bow Land begins the moment you open the app for the first time. A tutorial level shows you the controls and objective for success. The one-handed controls consist of a move pad that appears wherever you put your finger on the screen. When your character is standing still, they will automatically fire at any enemy in the surrounding area. Your main objective in this game is dodging and moving along the level. As you defeat the enemies, you level up. Each level gives you upgrades to your weapon, more health, or more coins. You can choose what you want from three options, and can watch an ad to shuffle these options. This resets each time you enter a new level pack so you can customize your upgrades for the challenging enemies you will encounter.
There are two main weapons in the game—bows and spell books. The style of the game replies on projectiles for fighting. There is no attack button; arrows and magic are shot towards enemies when your character stops moving. Upgrading your weapons and gear requires coins earned from playing and copies of the item. These upgrades create the base for your stats that you can then upgrade when you level during the game.
Ready, Aim, Fire
Bow Land creates an easy to play mobile game that doesn’t lose out on action or strategy with its simplistic controls. Each enemy has different attacks to avoid. Some enemies are more challenging to fight than others, especially when paired together. This is explored during arena challenges during each stage of the game levels. Arena challenges lock you into a battle with different enemies until they are defeated. Dodging is again more important than attacking during the arena because you can’t flee far from the enemies. You can lose health quickly if you don’t dodge the enemy’s attacks and this is especially true for boss battles. The bosses have a harder attack pattern that can get difficult to dodge.
The graphics of Bow Land are cartoony and bright with interesting creatures to fight. Some enemies are specific to the level design such as sharks in the water levels and snowmen in the winter ones. You start the game as a female Robin Hood, but it costs premium gems to buy a new character. Gems can be purchased with real money. All characters are female and no customization is available for any of them. Weapons and characters are simple, but this makes playing the game more casual than other mobile games. You spend more time playing the levels than you do gearing up your character. Bow Land is surprisingly straightforward. There is little else to do besides going through levels, and undeveloped features present in the game can cause confusion. For example, during levels, you can find villagers to save to add to your village tab in the main menu. This isn’t finished so there isn’t much point to it other than the free coins you get when you release them.
Take a Bow
While there are many games like this one in the app store, Bow Land manages to stand out from the crowd. The addictive levels are simultaneously frustrating and exciting. As you explore, you will find strategies for each enemy, arena battle, and boss that will increase your success. Each level is unique and filled with stunning graphics and creative enemies. This free-to-play title creates an action-packed adventure that will keep you entertained.
Hardcore?
Yes.
Bow Land manages to create a simple yet fun action game that is filled with exciting challenges and difficult bosses. The unused features and lack of character choices don’t take away from the task of winning levels.