Squids Wild West

Three days ago, a fellow writer of mine here at TBGA published a rave review for Squids, a cute turn-based RPG created by The Game Bakers and available for iOS, Android, Mac and PC. Naturally, I was compelled to take a look at its sequel, Squids Wild West. After three straight days with the game, I couldn’t agree more with its praise. As charming as it is witty, Squids Wild West is a must-play for mobile gamers seeking a unique, challenging, and thoroughly delightful gaming experience.

Set in a wildly western underwater universe, Squids Wild West lets players slingshot their quirky team of squids through dozens of polished, well-designed levels. Between unlocking new characters, acquiring stylish helmets, and strategizing your way around bonus levels, there is a surprisingly huge amount of content here. Gameplay primarily consists of tactically slinging your characters into enemies and collecting hidden stars located in each level. Because most challenges in the game require minimizing the amount of turns you use, precise aim and smart planning play a key role for succeeding in later stages. Four different character classes provide unique abilities like healing and gunslinging. Lastly, though certainly not least, various seahorse mounts are available in select areas to give players some extra power when needed.

I had a blast with this game. Others have deemed it the spawn of Angry Birds and Final Fantasy Tactics, which is probably true, more or less. But Squids Wild West undoubtedly has its own personality and flavor. It’s obvious that the developers went the extra mile to create eccentric characters and a story that’s interesting all the way through. It plays smoothly, grows in difficulty at an appropriate pace, and presents puzzling challenges that require adaptation and imagination. Not to mention players can unlock nearly all of the in-game items without dishing out any extra real money. (If you take a look at the game’s most expensive IAP, it tells you that your purchase will support Squids developers ”so that they can make free updates and new games and love you forever” – subtle charm at its most subtly charming.)

With a creatively western soundtrack, adorable animation, and hours of great gameplay, Squids Wild West is the total package. In all honesty, I can’t think of a quality that brings this game down, nor can I recommend it enough.

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