The latest film installment of Captain America is out, and now it’s time to capitalize on it with merchandise. Starting with this new mobile game from Gameloft that is admittedly worlds apart from the first movie tie-in game.
If you haven’t watched the film yet, fret not. The game is, of course, set in the Marvel fictional universe but doesn’t really make direct references to the events in the film. In The Winter Soldier, you take control not only of Cap himself but a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in an attempt to foil the dastardly plans of the villainous R.A.I.D. organization. Of course, plots are just a thin excuse to get you playing, but in this case they do add up to a more cohesive playing experience.
The first game, which was published by Marvel, was basically a 3D side-scrolling endless runner. This time around, Gameloft has taken the reigns in creating the official game, and their experience with mobile games shows through. The game is still in 3D but done in cel-shaded rendering to emulate more the comic book feel rather than the movie. The point of view has also changed, now employing a top-down angle. Considering that the game has also switched to become an action-strategy game, that change was definitely warranted.
As Captain America, you are in charge of building up your dream team of operatives of varying skills, equipping them with with weapons and ammunition from in-game stores. In the battlefield, you do control Captain America while your squad tags along and engages any enemy you come across. While punching is your main weapon, you get to throw your shield as well with a swipe. The shield mechanic is interesting as you can swipe across multiple enemies for multiple hits. There is even a delay as your shield boomerang backs to you for an added dose of realism. Controlling your characters utilizes a simple tap to move gesture, though a virtual d-pad is there if you wish to use it. One strange thing about this game is that it forces you to play in a portrait orientation, not really that ideal for gaming.
Unlike the first Captain America game, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is available for free on Google Play Store. Of course, there will be in-app purchases, but perhaps the biggest wart in this title is that you actually have to make a $2.99 in-app purchase to unlock the whole game.
Download: Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Google Play Store
Captain America: The Winter Soldier for Android has the first two levels playable from free. The rest of the levels require the said IAP to unlock. The game also requires an active internet connection to run.