The first bit of good news for fans of the first Epoch game - and there are a lot of you - is that everything you loved about the game has remained intact in the sequel. The same, fiendishly skittish acrobatic swipe gameplay is here in buckets, along with delicious firepower to unleash against your foes. There's huge variety to be found in the enemy design too, each one of which takes cover and unleashes its assaults with far more intelligence than you'll find in the average shooter. In short, it's a visually stunning and exciting sequel in just about every way.
The Good
The gameplay in Epoch 2 requires a great deal of precision in the controls if it's to remain fluid and free of frustration - and the controls are, for the most part, excellent. Tapping on an enemy sets it as the target, and it's easy to switch between targets as your opponents duck and hide behind cover. Likewise, your character leaps around the screen with responsive grace. You've got a handful of offensive tools at your disposal, as well as a handy time-dilation device which helps you duck between assaults during slow-motion segments. You can make upgrades to your fighter too, ensuring you should eventually find a way of busting through the whole game.
The Bad
For all of the game's gorgeous graphics, varied enemy design and colorful combat, we couldn't help but find the core gameplay of Epoch 2 just a little repetitive after a time. There's mastery to be found in the gameplay, but once you've become adept at flitting between sprays of bullets, and launching your own precisely timed attacks, it can feel a little bit like more of the same - even as the environments and enemies change markedly between campaign stages.
The Verdict
Even if all the initially-exhilarating combat comes to feel a little repetitive after a while, there's no denying that Epoch 2 is one of the best cover-based shooters you can get for your phone or tablet. It plays and looks like a dream, there are plenty of upgrades to keep you coming back for more, and that moment of mastery is one to savor. Highly recommended.
The Good
The gameplay in Epoch 2 requires a great deal of precision in the controls if it's to remain fluid and free of frustration - and the controls are, for the most part, excellent. Tapping on an enemy sets it as the target, and it's easy to switch between targets as your opponents duck and hide behind cover. Likewise, your character leaps around the screen with responsive grace. You've got a handful of offensive tools at your disposal, as well as a handy time-dilation device which helps you duck between assaults during slow-motion segments. You can make upgrades to your fighter too, ensuring you should eventually find a way of busting through the whole game.
The Bad
For all of the game's gorgeous graphics, varied enemy design and colorful combat, we couldn't help but find the core gameplay of Epoch 2 just a little repetitive after a time. There's mastery to be found in the gameplay, but once you've become adept at flitting between sprays of bullets, and launching your own precisely timed attacks, it can feel a little bit like more of the same - even as the environments and enemies change markedly between campaign stages.
The Verdict
Even if all the initially-exhilarating combat comes to feel a little repetitive after a while, there's no denying that Epoch 2 is one of the best cover-based shooters you can get for your phone or tablet. It plays and looks like a dream, there are plenty of upgrades to keep you coming back for more, and that moment of mastery is one to savor. Highly recommended.
