When it was released on iOS a while back, Infinity Blade set a new benchmark for mobile game production. With a budget of millions and a large team of staff, developer Chair Entertainment created an truly epic piece of software, making a tidy sum of cash as a result.
However, not all mobile developers are capable of pouring millions of dollars into their products, which makes Infinity Blade something of an exception in the world of iOS and Android.
Of course, that doesn't prevent industrious coders from trying to topple the sword-and-sorcery classic, as Heritage ably demonstrates. Even so, trying and succeeding are two very different things.
Hack and slashHeritage makes little effort to hide its inspiration. From the swipe-based one-on-one battles to the limited over-world navigation and upgrade system, it's every inch a clone of Infinity Blade. That's not a negative thing in itself - after all, Glu managed to create a decent game using the same approach with Blood & Glory.
What really pulls Heritage down is the fact that it's just not that enjoyable to play. It makes gestures towards Infinity Blade's addictive and arresting gameplay, but the loose and indistinct combat system means that actually putting together a successful combination of attacks is more a case of trial-and-error than skill.
Swiping to the left and right executes horizontal slashes, but you can also incorporate a more powerful downward slash for additional damage. According to the tutorial, it's possible to quickly chain together these three moves into a devastating combo, but it's frustratingly difficult to actually do so.
Flash of the bladeBlocking and dodging are also handled poorly, with an upward swipe raising your shield and a tap to the shield triggering an evasive move. Even when you've committed these gestures to memory, they never feel intuitive in the same way that Infinity Blade's more logical interface arrangement does.
It's a shame that Heritage falls flat on its behind when it comes to the rudimentary elements of its gameplay, as the visuals are actually quite appealing. They're not up to the standard of Infinity Blade, but they have an appealingly clean aesthetic and the samurai setting also feels fresh and different.
Heritage has the smell of a tech demo about it, as if the developer has created this game purely to show off its (admittedly nice) 3D engine. The core mechanics of the combat are woefully under-formed, robbing Heritage of any chance it might have had of providing a truly engaging experience.