Spellsword Preview

Live and die by the sword with Spellsword for iOS

Swords are handy tools to have around. They make kings, they slay dragons, and they defend realms from marauding hordes. There’s just one problem: swords don’t jump up and start swinging themselves for a cause. That’s where you come in with Spellsword, a hack-and-slash platforming game for iOS.

Everplay’s Spellsword is set in a fantasy world that’s illustrated with gorgeous sprite-based graphics. The colorful, well-animated sprites will take you back to the glory days of the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, and the gameplay will also whisk you to those seemingly laid-back 16-bit years. Essentially, you are given a sword, and you must hack up hordes of enemies. Your mission: survive.

Spellsword’s endless arena-style gameplay seems reminiscent of Super Crate Box, but it looks significantly more detailed. There are larger environments, more enemies, and more chances to die a horrible death on the business end of a giant wasp’s stinger. You’ll be able to upgrade your equipment and your character, however, and you’ll also need to utilize the environment to your advantage.

Everplay is the studio behind Terra Noctis, another retro-style iOS platformer, so the pedigree for Spellsword seems pretty sound. How long can one man and one sword, however mighty, stand up against wave upon wave of enemies? You’ll find out on April 26, when Spellsword hits the App Store. Check back with Gamezebo for more information on the game as it comes, and in the meantime, make sure you practice your best battle-cry.

Nadia Oxford

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In the early aughts, Nadia fell into writing with the grace of a brain-dead bison stumbling into a chasm. Over the years, she's written for Nerve, GamePro, 1UP.com, USGamer, Pocket Gamer, Just Labs Magazine, and many other sites and magazines of fine repute. She's currently About.com's Guide to the Nintendo 3DS at ds.about.com.