Fieldrunners 2 for Android: Beta review

Just a few days ago, Subatomic Studios announced the Beta signup for their upcoming Android game, Field Runners 2.

I managed to get a copy of the beta and I must admit it has seen drastic improvements since the original version.

It has been a long time since Field Runners 2 was released for iOS, while Android users still await the release. But I think it is going to be a sure fire hit, even better than the 1st one.

Download system:

The game’s APK was just a megabytes in size, but launching it prompted a data download of ~250 MB data. I expect this will be the same system when the game lands on the Play Store.

General Gameplay:

The gameplay is quite similar to the older version, (the new features are explained below).  The graphics are much better, sharper looking. Towers can be placed by dragging the tower icon to the map and placing it on an empty space on the grid.

You can upgrade, sell or view a tower’s info by tapping on it and selecting the appropriate button.  You can also use the fast-forward button to speed up the game.

New Gameplay Aspects:

The Fieldrunners don’t come in a straightline like they used to, rather they charge through (from left to right) like in a real battle. You also get item rewards for playing the game and returning to it. Depending on the maps, you will be able to place towers in various places, while  you can’t place the towers on certain spaces like trenches.

The game also displays a small icon when any new enemies approacj, tapping on the icon shows you information about the enemy.

Towers:

There are various types of towers with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some have to be unlocked with stars, and some requires stars and coins.

Here is a list of the available towers in the game,

1. Gatling Tower
2. Glue Tower
3. Missile Tower
4. FlameThrower
5. Tesla Tower
6. Hive Tower
7. Laser Tower
8. Oil Tower
9. Plasma Tower
10. Pyro Tower
11. Spark Tower
12. Railgun
13. Mine Tower
14. Radiation Tower
15. Nuke Tower
16. Machine Gun
17. Ice Tower
18. Sonic Blast Tower
19. Cannon Tower
20. Link Tower
21. Zap Tower
22. Gas Tower
23. Plague Tower
24. Boom-Kin Tower
25. Slow Link tower
26. Napalm Tower
27. Power Tower
28. Polymorph Tower

28 towers? This is going to be the best Tower Defense game, ever.

Stars and the reward system:

You earn stars for defeating missions and the stars which you earn can be used to unlock new towers. You can also unlock Items.(explained below)

Items:

Items can be earned by playing missions and by purchasing them with in-game coins.  You also get items as a reward for returning to the game.

Here is a list of the available items:

1. Rewind
2. Deep Freeze
3. Smart Mine
4. Fire Fountain
5. Frostinator
6. Spanish Flu
7. Santa Strike

You can also buy some packs of items for coins

• Sweet 3 x 3 Pack (3 Freezes, 3 Fires, 3 Flu)
• Super Pack (3 Santa Strikes, 3 Rewinds, 3 Frostinators)
• Ultra Pack (9 Freezes, 9 Fires, 9 Flu)

New map selection screen:

The map selection screen is gorgeous and has a zoom in  feature.

You can choose from various accessible levels and select the level difficulty. The available difficulty modes are: Casual, Tough and Heroic.

While starting a level you are allowed to choose various towers. This means that there may be more than one way to complete a level. It also shows that the game has got some replay value. You can also equip items of your choice while starting level.

Achievements and the Cards system:

Achievements are now called Cards, and unlocking certain cards to complete a deck grants you certain rewards.

In-App-Purchases:

The game comes with optional IAPs which can be bought from the coin store. just tap the coins icon in the map selection screen to access the store. You can also get a few free coins if you Brag about the game (same as sharing the info about the game) on twitter and facebook.

Here is a gameplay trailer for Fieldrunners 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmVSAolte-8

AndroidPure Opinion:

Stunning graphics, incredible choice of towers, lot of maps to choose from, the use of items, etc make this quite fun. Personally I love the game and I am sure this will be much popular than the first game. It’s going to be a must buy for tower defense fans.

If you haven’t played the first game, you can buy it from Google Play for $2.99. Use the widget below to quickly get to the Play Store page:

[app]com.subatomicstudios[/app]

Stay tuned to our blog for further news regarding the game’s release. It is expected to land on Google Play in April.

The game was tested on a Nexus 7 running stock 4.2.2, and ran smoothly without any lags.