Gorgeous explosions. Fast, frantic action. Clever, customizable design. These elements drive Ballistic SE into the category of games that reconfigures what you can expect out of a mobile gaming experience.
This twin-stick shooter starts off with a familiar old-school formula that sets players adrift in a sea of swarming enemies. But Ballistic adds on an upgrade system that lets you choose from drop mines in your wake, create bigger bomb blasts or max out the Ballistic power-up that slows down time and creates insane ricochets.
Indie developer RadianGames had previously released a version of Ballistic for Xbox Live but this version feels just as good, despite the lack of physical controls. If you equip the right loadout, it's possible to play Ballistic with one hand. This doesn't negate the challenge, though. You're constantly under attack from enemy clusters and, even with homing attacks blasting opponents for you, the tension of moving to safe spaces still remains riveting.
Once you start playing, it's easy to get entranced by the rhythm and action of Ballistic, to the point where you shut everything else out. It's damn good and happens to be on sale right now to celebrate RadianGames' second anniversary.
Ballistic SE [$0.99, iTunes]