Windows Phone 7 review: Star Wars: Battle for Hoth
As footage of Star Wars: Episode 5 plays on your phone, it's hard not to think "oh, maybe they put some effort into this one." Unfortunately, that film snippet is quite possibly the most impressive thing about THQ's Battle for Hoth game for iPhone/Windows Phone 7.
Tower defense games are a dime a dozen on the App Store, meaning Battle for Hoth really has to do something unique to make it appealing. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer anything to better it than the PixelJunk Monsters and Plants vs Zombies of the worlds. Yes, Battle of Hoth is the only tower defense option for Windows Phone 7, but that doesn't mean you should lower your standards, right?
Quite possibly the biggest problem with the game is that it is, by all accounts, boring. It is visually dull, using sprites that would look more at home for a DS, and not a platform that's branded as "Xbox Live." Taking place on Hoth doesn't allow for much variety, either. Both the Rebel and Alliance units are uninteresting. Where's the "gimmick" that makes this game stand out? Other than the inclusion of footage from the original Star Wars trilogy?
Although Battle for Hoth doesn't really do anything remarkable, it also doesn't falter to the point of being unplayable. As uninteresting as the game may be (in comparison to others in the genre), it's also solidly constructed that should serve as a good appetizer for other tower defense games. If "serviceable" is what you need from a Windows Phone game, then you certainly got it here.
See also: Windows Phone 7 launch games reviews hub
This review is based on a retail Samsung Focus provided by Microsoft and AT&T.
