Quick Look: Gold Keeper for iPhone
It’s easy to justify being the good guy. You’re saving the day, protecting the innocent, blah, blah, blah. It wasn’t really until the game Dungeon Keeper for the PC that it was good to be bad. Even then games where you played the villain were few and far between. Thankfully, iPhone developers are starting to realize that sometimes you just have to be on the wrong side of the fence. Thus we have games like Gold Keeper, where you play the part of a demon trying to protect its gold from greedy villagers while being attacked by intrusive armed warriors. Who knows, maybe the gold really does belong to the demon… maybe…
There’s not much to Gold Keeper, which in a way I suppose is part of the charm. You play the part of the demon, minding your gold and trying to keep the pesky townsfolk from walking away with it. The gold is in the center of your cave, and there are four tunnels where unwanted visitors can enter from. Using your fists or one of three weapons you acquire throughout the game, you basically beat the intruders to a pulp. Good fun, good fun. Of course, the wimpy thieves only take one hit to kill and don’t fight back, but they didn’t come alone. These silly armored soldiers that feel the need to protect the peasants actually have weapons, take more than one hit to kill, and aren’t afraid to poke you where it hurts.
You do have a health meter, and when that meter runs dry you’re dead (go figure). There’s also a gold meter, and I’ve never had that run down to nothing, but I’d presume that would be game over as well. Thankfully there are a couple of things to help you in your battle. First of all, peasants will often leave behind health vials when they perish. It’s pretty much always a good idea to head for one of these when you see them. Second, the soldiers will leave behind glowing orange disks (no, they’re not neon frisbees – I don’t think). Collecting enough of these will fill a meter that lets you use your special power, which is basically a shock wave that kills everything on screen. Be warned, though, that you can still be attacked while you’re immobile and preparing your special attack.
My Machette Is Bigger Than Yours
In the lower left corner there’s a funky little red thing that acts as a joystick which you can use to move around your cave, and in the lower right is a button to attack. When your special attack meter is full you’ll have a big symbol that you can press to unleash your wrath. The controls are quite responsive, and I’ve never had any trouble fending off the enemy; at least not because I couldn’t control myself!
Gold Keeper looks cool. The cave provides a nice backdrop for all your mayhem, and the characters are well rendered. I can’t decide if my favorite visual is the cracked glass when the demon throws someone into the screen or the loading screen which depicts the demon in an apron sweeping up the cave floor. The sound effects are good, but I really wish I could understand better what the demon was saying. The music also fits the mood of the game quite well, and I love the little ditty that’s played when you lose.
If anything, I’d say this game could use a bit more variety. Add a couple of new soldier types and weapons. Give the player the ability to upgrade their cave with some features that will help protect against the invaders. Maybe even have two or three different cave settings. I love the simplicity of the game, but sometimes it’s nice to change things up a bit as well. For what it is now, though, Gold Keeper is a great game for loading up, playing a couple of rounds, and then putting away and coming back to every couple of days.
Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link
Tags: Digital Worlds, Eric Pankoke, Gold Keeper, iPhone, Quick Look, review, technobrains
