This entire game is the work of developer Dong-kyu Kim. He developed the story, revolving around a lone warrior in Ancient China battling hordes of demonic undead. He created the sharp anime visuals. He composed the music. He built an expansive freemium game with the feel of a Dynasty Warriors title and a brilliantly simple single-finger control system. He layered it with upgradeable skills and stats, a rewarding achievement system, a collectible champion system, weapon and equipment forging and battle pets.
Hidea's Dong-kyu Kim did all of these things, so I'll excuse him for not coming up with a more compelling name than Undead Slayer.
The title nearly caused me to pass the game by entirely, assuming a generic name equals a generic game, but the anime-style graphics caught my eye and the promise of intense 3D combat without a screen cluttered with virtual controls pulled me in, and I doubt I'll be escaping anytime soon.
Undead Slayer's control system is what impresses me the most. A single finger is all I need. A tap on the screen sends my character in whichever direction I touch, automatically attacking enemies that come into range. Holding down my finger charges a heavy attack. Along the side of the screen are my skills, unlocked as I grow in level. I tap them, pick a direction, and go to town. Correctly timed swipes launch my character at a single enemy, the camera zooming in as I perform a brutal fatality. On the left side of the screen are my captains, additional collectible characters I can swap between during battle. Swapping in mid-attack leads to combos.
Check out the gameplay video I grabbed below. Does that look like one finger's worth of action?
Between battles I enjoy a growing number of diversions. I can hunt for treasure and new collectible companions, which I can combine together to form more powerful supporting characters. I can use resources gathered in battle to upgrade my equipment. I augment my statistics and unlock new powers from a selection of 20 special skills. I maintain my pets—a horse and a falcon—making sure they're well-fed for their once-per-battle cameos.
There's a glorious amount of game here, and while the combat might leans towards the repetitive, there are always new items and abilities being unlocked and bonus stages to overcome, keeping excitement levels high. I do wish the in-game currency was awarded more freely, but I suppose the publishers have to make money somehow.
I applaud Dong-kyu Kim for this impressive accomplishment. Undead Slayer is a game with so much content and polish that I'd swear it was made by a much larger team. Here's hoping it makes enough money for Dong-kyu to hire someone to come up with a better title.
Undead Slayer
- Genre: Action RPG
- Developer: Hidea
- Platform: Android | iOS
- Price: Free
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