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First impressions of Chillingo's iPhone twin-stick shooter Etolis: Arena

Out now in New Zealand

First impressions of Chillingo's iPhone twin-stick shooter Etolis: Arena
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iOS
| Etolis: Arena

Chillingo's twin-stick shooter Etolis: Arena - developed by Facet Studios - has just arrived on the New Zealand App Store.

Etolis: Arena features three game modes - Dronez, Rockets, and Hammers - all of which allow you to shoot members of "the Queen's forces" with a range of weapons that you unlock as you advance.

Crystal and Game Center integration allows you to compare scores with friends and unlock achievements.

We got a chance to take a look at the game last week. On first inspection, Etolis: Arena bears more than a passing resemblance to The Harvest on Windows Phone 7. Whether intentional or not, given that Luma's shooter-cum-RPG is unlikely to branch out from its base on Microsoft's platform, there's certainly room enough for this sci-fi shooter on iOS.

Viewed from above, Etolis: Arena seems to follow the standard setup of offering points for kills that can then either be traded in for new weapons or upgrades to those already equipped.

The standard future-bound fare is here – plasma weapons, mines, etc all on offer - and the iPad version I tested features a balanced control setup, with movement handled via a virtual thumbstick to the left and the option to fire on the right.

Its main selling point is the expansive nature of each arena, offering space for movement aplenty as you switch between attacking the sporning adversaries with gusto and retreating to save your own skin.

Etolis: Arena looks the bulkiest of the games Chillingo has to offer this February. It'll arrive on the UK App Store at around midnight, costing £1.19 / $1.99.
Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.