Army Sniper is an interesting take on the Android Shooter
by Toni McQuilken
Jun 23, 2011 11:55 AM –
Install
Army Sniper. Turn you android phone into a battle field and snipe all your enemies. You are an elite army sniper and an unsung hero in the war against new terrorism. Combining the fast pace of action games with the satisfaction of a precision sniper shot, Army Sniper offers exciting gameplay like never before.
Price: Free
Tested on: MyTouch 3G Slide
Content Rating: Medium Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- A nice use of the accelerometer
- Precision is required to hit the target, requiring a nice mix of skill that isn’t too easy
Cons
- The in-game font is a bit hard to read, and there are numerous misspellings and grammatical errors (I’m an editor, I notice these things…)
- The tutorial isn’t completely clear, so it takes some trial and error. It took me two games to figure out I needed to pick it up off the desk (I thought the tutorial was telling me to set it on a flat, 45-degree angle surface) and move it around to aim.
Features:
Given the nature of mobile devices, there have been a few attempts at first-person shooters on the platform, but none have been perfect. Army Sniper is another one I would add that that category – it has it’s pros and cons, and overall isn’t a bad game.
There’s a story-line behind the game, but it’s a pretty standard, “you’re a sniper and you need to go in and kill everyone” scenario. As a sniper, I expected they wouldn’t see me – in fact, you’re facing a scene where there are several soldiers at any given time, and they’re trying to shoot you at the same time you’re shooting at them. There is no way for your character to take cover, so you just have to try and shoot them all before they kill you. Which is easier said than done, since once you kill them all, they all re-spawn. Again and again and again. Frankly, I would have liked something that was a little less repetitious, even if it required more skill to pass the level.
The game uses the accelerometer to aim, requiring you to tilt and shoot at the same time. It’s a bit clunky at first, but after a time you get the hang of it. It took me a few tries to realize this was what the game wanted me to do, and it got much easier to figure out once I got past that little hiccup.
Another point that sort of drove me crazy, but might not bother most people, was the absolutely horrible grammar and spelling in the text-based story. For me, that just totally kills the mood, but I know for a lot of people, it won’t be a big deal.
Overall, I thought it was a bit repetitive, but a solid “point and shoot” game. It’s fun for a little while, but it gets old a bit fast.
How to Play:
- Touch to enter into Aim mode
- Tilt your phone to move sight
- Click the Fire button at bottom left to fire
- Touch the black area to exit snipe mode
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Army Sniper Loading
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Army Sniper Main Screen
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Army Sniper Tutorial
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Army Sniper Options
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Army Sniper Text
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Army Sniper Gameplay
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Army Sniper Aim
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Army Sniper Game Over
Fun Factor:
There is some challenge involved in learning to aim and then the game does require that you actually hit the target – getting near the target won’t earn you a kill, which is nice. There are also different types of shots, although all of them result in a “kill”, even a foot shot. But it does give you something to measure yourself against in terms of trying to get good enough to get headshots every time.
Addictive:
Because it’s a bit repetitive, it’s fun for a little while, but I don’t know that it will be the game you return to over and over, or just can’t put down.
Graphics:
The graphics remind me of an old-school shooter on a system from quite a few years ago. They aren’t horrible, but they are a bit blocky and cartoonish.
Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:
The accelerometer is used to great effect here, and is pretty precise for aiming, to my surprise.