The current genre du jour for "mature" licenses on mobile seems to be the battler – an RPG-lite that focuses more on its meta-game than actual gameplay.
It's a foundation that can go either way for a game. Too little to do makes the whole thing slightly dull, but introduce too many elements to the game and it just becomes annoying.
Thankfully, DC Legends has somehow managed to hit the middle ground perfectly, offering enough depth to stop boredom setting in, but enough simplicity that it never gets over-complicated.
Catch 'em allDC Legends sees you collecting heroes from across the entire DC Comics universe and taking them through level after level of battles against numerous foes.
You have a basic attack and a special ability, and you can unlock more as you progress and level up your character's rank.
Battles are simple – you tap your attacks, deal damage, take damage, win, and move on. Or you just hit the "fast-forward" and "auto" buttons and let the game play itself while you handle team builds.
You need to account for the game's rock-paper-scissors style trait system, making sure your team can deal out bonus damage to while not leaving their own weakness wide open to exploit.
And you'll need to make sure you keep every one of your team levelled-up, lest you wade into battle vastly underpowered and get sent home with your tail between your legs.
Another levelThere's plenty of things to level up, if that's your thing. On top of the basic levelling system, there's also your Gear level, your character's Star Rating, and their attacks can be levelled as well.
It's not so much that you'll ever feel overwhelmed, and DC Legends lets you know who can be upgraded and when, so you'll never be sifting through menus for no reason.
There's a campaign to battle through, with an additional difficulty level unlocked when you beat the thing so you can earn better upgrades for yourself.
And you can take the fight online in the Arena, where you face off against other player's teams and rise through the ranks for even more rewards.
It is, in short, everything a battler should be. It's well-presented, fast-paced, and knows that as important as the core game may be, the meta-game is where players are going to be really focused.
The end is nighDC Legends isn't a game for everyone. If you like RPGs with a ton of depth and lots of stats to mess around with, you'll likely find it quite limited in scope.
But if you're a battler fan already, this is the pinnacle of the genre. It balances gameplay and meta-game perfectly, and gives you plenty of reasons to come back.
Gorgeous graphics and well-designed menus round out a very enjoyable experience that any DC Comics fan should check out immediately.