S&S; Mobile Review: Dead Trigger

Title: Dead Trigger

Format: iOS/ AndroidRelease Date: August 1st, 2012Publisher: MadFinger GamesDeveloper: MadFinger GamesPrice: FreeESRB Rating: 17+    Mow down endless hordes of the undead in the most visually stunning game on the AppStore.STORY

      Dead Trigger's story isn't the most engaging or ambitious, but it serves it's purpose well. It's follows the generic zombie game story line in which modern civilization has completely collapsed due to a highly contagious virus that turns humans into bloodthirsty zombies, and so on and so forth. Point is, there are zombies and you have guns. i think you know what to do...

GAMEPLAY

      The gameplay of Dead Trigger is where it truly shines. Developer MadFinger, creators of Shadowgun, obviously know what they're doing when it comes to game mechanics. You choose from a huge amount of  missions around the unnamed city you're in, varying from locating items, rescuing survivors, or just plain old killin' zombies. There are a sequence of missions you can complete, forming somewhat of a "story" mode, or you can play through the multitude of side missions. 
Once you choose what mission to embark on you're thrown into a beautifully rendered city, shown from a first person view. I could take hours walking around each individual level, appreciating the massive amount of detail MadFinger put into the environment, but unfortunately there's a pack of bloodthirsty zombies constantly chasing you around. As you progress through the game, you also earn money that can be used to buy or upgrade weapons and items. You also earn gold that can be put towards significantly better weapons, but it's such a huge amount purchasing gold through the AppStore using real money is essentially the only way to get them. The world and overall feel of the game is absolutely amazing, and I can get immersed in the world for hours. Generally I don't say you always need to play mobile games on a larger system or tablet, like an iPad, but for Dead Trigger I highly recommend it. The larger screen makes the world really pop and just look al the more amazing, almost comparable to a FPS console experience.

CONTROLS

      The two best words I can use to describe Dead Trigger's control scheme are "elegant simplicity." It provides the bare essentials needed for a FPS, but it works so well. They don't add unnecessary functions or buttons that would crowd the screen, such as crouching or sprinting. Three small, yet accessible on-screen virtual buttons are provided for shooting, aiming down sights, and bandaging yourself. There is also a display that allows you to see your weapons and ammo supply in the top right corner of the screen. A virtual stick on the left side of the screen is used for moving and you drag your opposite finger around the screen to aim. All of the buttons can also be moved or scaled to your personal preference. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

      Dead Trigger is one of my favorite FPS' on mobile devices and undoubtedly the best looking game for iDevices. I was using the iOS version for review, but the Android version has added features like improved rag-doll effects and water simulations for devices with a Tegra3 chip. The biggest problem I had with the game was the lack of variety in the side quests. Often different missions gave you the exact same goal with just a slight change of scenery. That aside, DeadTrigger is a must own for any mobile game enthusiasts who even remotely enjoy first person shooters.
                                                                                                           S&S Rating: 9/10
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