Dodge This! Review
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Dodge This! Review

Our Review by Jennifer Allen on September 12th, 2013
Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FREEMIUM-BASED CANNONPLAY
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Fire cannonballs at increasingly large waves of enemies and watch the power-up earning coins come creeping in.

Developer: Chillingo
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Playtime Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Dodge This! is one of those of games that players can dive into, stop thinking for a while, and simply lose themselves in mindless yet lighthearted shooting. With such an attitude, that also means that Dodge This! isn't quite the kind of game to sink hours upon hours into but it's still quite pleasant, free fun.

Players must protect one side of the screen from the invading forces that are coming from the other side. This is done through using a cannon to fire repeatedly at the enemies, with players given three lives to make the odd mistake. To a large extent that's all that needs to be considered here. While there are power-ups such as my favorite chicken-based cannonball (who could not like throwing a flying chicken at an enemy soldier?), the same rule applies as before, really. It's all just a matter of knocking out the enemy.

Variety comes from two things: the theme and the enemies themselves. The latter comes in various guises. While there are typical drones, simply requiring one hit of a cannonball, others require multiple blows, and some are much faster than the average enemy. As well as that, some provide a supporting role to those trying to invade; getting in the way of the cannon or throwing dynamite to confuse the player. It's all quite well done and each character is introduced with a silly name and a brief description to add to their personality.

Themes, such as a pirate or medieval setting, can be unlocked by regular levelling-up - which is done through completing certain objectives. It's straightforward enough but it's satisfying to have something to aim for.

The only significant gripe I have with Dodge This! is that, at times, it does feel a little weighted towards encouraging players to spend money on in-game coins. These coins are used to buy new cannons or power-ups, and while there's a flat fee of $9.99 to unlock all the cannons, I wish the structure was a little more generous.

At least Dodge This! doesn't suffer for an energy-based recharging system. It's also enjoyable enough that it's possible to look past it but those getting tired of such methods might find themselves less enthused than they would have been with a more friendly upfront asking price.

iPhone Screenshots

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iPad Screenshots

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