Hills and Rivers Remain
Encyclopedia
Hills and Rivers Remain is a video game developed and published by Square Enix
and released for the iPhone
and iPod Touch
in North America and Japan, and additionally for DSIWare and cell phones in Japan. The game was released in November 2009, and has seen many map expansions released. The game is a strategy game that incorporates turn-based and real-time elements. It sees the player controlling several forts in a group of connected bases, choosing each round which base will create new forces that are used to attack enemy positions. The game was moderately well-received; reviewers enjoyed the gameplay, though it was noted as derivative, and had mixed opinions on plot, which was generally regarded as overly-dramatic.
rated the game a 7.5 or "Good", praising its depth and complexity and cautioning players about its great difficulty. He praised the simple and precise controls, though he noted that the graphics and presentation were simple and minimal. Andrew Podolsky of Slide to Play, giving it a three out of four, also praised the gameplay, though he noted that the matches tended to start slowly and that the gameplay was derivative of other real-time strategy games, especially Galcon
. He said that he enjoyed the "tearful, overwrought storyline". Peter Lettieri of Touch Arcade also noted the similarities to Galcon, though he called the plot "loaded to the brim with clichés, uninspired characters, and banter that will likely make one wince" and awarded the game three out of five points.
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
and released for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
in North America and Japan, and additionally for DSIWare and cell phones in Japan. The game was released in November 2009, and has seen many map expansions released. The game is a strategy game that incorporates turn-based and real-time elements. It sees the player controlling several forts in a group of connected bases, choosing each round which base will create new forces that are used to attack enemy positions. The game was moderately well-received; reviewers enjoyed the gameplay, though it was noted as derivative, and had mixed opinions on plot, which was generally regarded as overly-dramatic.
Gameplay
Players navigate their characters across a map attempting to take their opponent's bases. The map is set up as a grid of connected forts, with each player controlling a section of the map. The game is turn-based; each turn the player selects one of their bases to be their main base. At the end of each turn, the main base spawns troops. The amount of forces created depends on the number of held bases. The player then sends these troops either towards their own bases to reinforce them or towards enemy bases in order to capture them. Troops do not travel instantly, allowing circumstances to change at the target base before they arrive. Capturing bases is done by comparing the attacking troops' numbers with the defending, with larger numbers winning. Some bases provide additional bonuses to the side that holds them, such as increased movement speed or attack power. The match ends when one player controls the entire map. Each match takes around ten to twenty minutes to complete. The player can face multiple enemies at once.Development
The game was released by Square Enix on November 26, 2009. A demo version was also released for free, and contains elements not present in the full game. In Japan, the game was also released as a DSiWare game on October 28, 2009, as well as a cell phone game.Reception
Levi Buchanan of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the game a 7.5 or "Good", praising its depth and complexity and cautioning players about its great difficulty. He praised the simple and precise controls, though he noted that the graphics and presentation were simple and minimal. Andrew Podolsky of Slide to Play, giving it a three out of four, also praised the gameplay, though he noted that the matches tended to start slowly and that the gameplay was derivative of other real-time strategy games, especially Galcon
Galcon
Galcon is a series of real time strategy video games for Android, iPhone, Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Flash, which were developed by Phil Hassey...
. He said that he enjoyed the "tearful, overwrought storyline". Peter Lettieri of Touch Arcade also noted the similarities to Galcon, though he called the plot "loaded to the brim with clichés, uninspired characters, and banter that will likely make one wince" and awarded the game three out of five points.