With Hills and Rivers Remain [$6.99 itunes link] Square Enix has created another intelligent, intense, beautiful real-time strategy game for the iPhone and iPod touch. If you loved Final Fantasy Tactics and Galcon then you will love Hills and Rivers. It brings epic music, great graphics, and challenging gameplay to your multi-touching fingertips.
Join us after the break for more screenshots and descriptions.
In the game you control an army and try to take over neighbouring lands by moving soldiers from one base to another. You also can find power-ups that can allow your troops increased speed, offence and defense.
Your troops travel along a grid with various bases which may be either ally, neutral or foe. When your army reaches a neutral or opposing base you each fight, with the winning army taking over the location. You tap on the base to which you would like to move armies and then use a slider to choose how many men you would like to move. You can only choose to move your army to a neighbouring base and need a linking road.
This game is played in real time and requires you to think fast. Various bases will give your army different possibilities, including cannons, stables and mines.
The storyline is typical for a Square Enix RPG and may at times seem overdone but it is entertaining and not overly verbose.
Hills and Rivers Remain will no doubt be enjoyed by those who like turn-based strategies and has enough versatility to be both challenging and entertaining.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
There is also lite version [itunes link] if you want to try before you buy.
Either way, let us know what you think!
Senior Editor at iMore and a practicing therapist specializing in stress and anxiety. She speaks everywhere from conferences to corporations, co-host of Vector and Isometric podcasts, follow her on Twitter @Georgia_Dow and check out her series at anxiety-videos.com.