Last week my eight year old son brought an Apple iPad home from school and as much as I wanted him to leave it outside as a door mat; I decided to be open like Android. I played a game called Age of Wind and enjoyed every aspect of it. Taken to the Android Market to see if it was there, I was excited it was, but would it provide the same level of fun I had enjoyed with the iPad version.
There is a demo and full version for $0.99 (as of April 25th Age of Wind 2 is out). I am writing this review on the original Age of Wind by developer Galapagos for Android. The environment is set at sea where there are 21 unique islands to port. There you can buy/sell goods, buy weapons, repair/upgrade your ship, or purchase one of the 17 unique ships. Besides earning money from missions, you can earn money by trading goods from one port to another or by stealing cargo to sell from other ships. Controls are simple. To turn the ship – tilt the phone right or left. To shoot – tap anywhere on the screen. Taping on the compass will bring up the map. This is a big open world and upgrading to a faster ship is a must. The islands can be a good distance from one another, but there are enough ships on the way to entertain you during your journey. I have even run into a couple of ghost ships too which is a nice touch. The background music is perfect for the game. Violins playing softly while you sail across the sea just feel right and when you engage into a battle, the mood changes to an “edge of your seat†thrill ride.
The game starts as your ship is being sunk by pirates. You survive and become a captain of your on ship. The story goes from there and if you ever get tired of following the storyline or want to upgrade your ship before the next mission, you have the freedom to explore the sea at anytime. The battles are not always simple either since you do fire your cannons from the side of your ship. You need to plan out your strategy before you decide to rush in for an attack. With all that is packed into this game while giving you hours and hours of gameplay, for less than a buck, you can’t go wrong. Great soundtrack, great graphics, and great controls. Highly recommended.
Summary and Downloads:
Application: Age of Wind
Developer: Galapagos
Cost: FREE
Submitted By: Paul Johnson
