Australian developers continue to make their presence known on the mobile gaming front. The most recent efforts that come to mind are Defiant Development’s Ski Safari; and Blood of the Zombies, a collaborative effort between Melbourne-based Tin Man Games and Fighting Fantasy legend Ian Livingstone.
DroneSwarm Command might have a ways to go before joining the ranks of these titles, but it looks like it could have the right blend of elements to give it, at the very least, a running start.
DroneSwarm Command is the work of Conor O’Kane’s studio Io Normal. O’Kane describes it as a blend of Firemint’s Flight Control and Missile Command, though instead of landing commercial airliners and helicopters, you have to manage three unmanned drones and use them to defend your bases on the ground.
However, there’s bit more depth to it than simply leading the vehicles around with your finger — DroneSwarm Command features an experience point system so you can upgrade your drones’ abilities. Each drone also has unique powers, described here on Io Normal’s website:
- The Redback, an air superiority fighter armed with long range air-to-air missiles and possessing high speed and manoeuvrability.
- The Groundhog, focusing on close air support it has guns and rockets to take out ground targets and can laser designate targets for cruise missile strikes.
- The White Crane, an electronic warfare and countermeasures aircraft which can hack enemy missiles mid-flight or disable enemies with its EMP weapon.
DroneSwarm Command already has a feather in its cap, taking out first place in last year’s iFest Australian Independent Game Festival.
The game will be out November 29 for iPad, so you’ll have to wait until late next week to pick it up. According to O’Kane, there will be a special launch sale for $0.99, which is as cheap as iOS games get without going free.
DroneSwarm Command [Official site]
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