Who doesn’t like Hockey? Find me someone who doesn’t find something about Ice Hockey appealing and I will sort them out! Or at least, Ice Rage will, the latest in a long line of games based around the sport. Only this time around, things are a little different, Ice Rage doesn’t take itself too seriously and there’s more fun here than in most other games. Why? Well, you’ll have to read on to find out what makes Ice Rage so much fun.
Description: Just as the title of the game suggests, Ice Rage is a game that brings all the rage associated with Ice Hockey and put it on ice, if you thought that meant things were going to cool down though, you’d be wrong! With three different modes – including a single-device multiplayer mode – there’s a lot of offer to keep your opponents on the ice rather than on their feet. Brilliant 3D graphics, addictive gameplay and some good, fun-loving violence is the aim of the game with Ice Rage. It’s best to take a good look at what you’re in for so take a look at the trailer below:
How it Works: Before you can hit the ice to crack a few skulls, you’ll need to head over to the Play Store and download the game, after that you can go ahead and start playing!
If you’re playing Single Player, there are a few game modes that you can choose from:
Quick Match and the Tournament play much the same, in that you play a sort of one-on-one game of hockey (with goalies), the Tournament will run on for some time and your task is to defeat the entire team, by winning each short match after the other. Rage-Off is a little different, as you end up playing a combination of Hockey and fighter game, in that there is a health meter throughout the match. You can inflict damage by both attack your opponent and by scoring goals, this is how you will lose health as well. You have to survive against a group of opponents that get more and more difficult as time goes on. Where controls are concerned, there are two methods:
The one button controls are good but, they’re not too much fun if you’re into playing mobile games so, it’s better to just click the button to turn on moving as well:
With controls like this, you’ll find yourself gliding around the rink like you’re in the winter olympics. When you’re in a Rage-Off match you’ll see health bars at the top of the display:
When playing in either a quick match, you’ll see the scoreboard at the bottom of the display. In these modes, you can take as much of a beating as you want, and hand out all the more damage – so long as you have more points!
In the tournament mode, you get the opportunity to upgrade your abilities, which is a really nice touch, so you can upgrade your speed, power and technique to create your ideal hockey player.
Often though, all the upgrades won’t save you:
It’s a nice challenge and when you do win, and you get see all of your tackles and goals toted up into your overall score it’s a really nice feeling. Of course, there is also the excellent multiplayer mode:
You can play either Quickmatch or Rage-Off in multiplayer and you’ll see something like this when playing:
Opinion: The varied game modes here are great, Tournament mode is fantastic for those times when you know that you just want to keep on playing no matter what. As for how the game plays overall, Ice Rage is challenging and addictive. There’s a satisfaction that comes with every point scored and every time you leave your opponent face down on the ice. With some interesting characters and some fun special guests, such as my favorite, Enviro Bear, there’s a lot of fun here to keep you playing. While onscreen controls aren’t one of my favorite things, they work really well here and the ability to play two-player on one screen is pretty impressive to say the least.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – An action-packed game like this is could be considered too fast for some but there’s a nice way to control the pace until you are used to it and the faster it gets, the more fun it is!
- Features (4/5) – With three game modes – including a brilliant multiplayer – there’s more than enough on offer here to make sure you keep on coming back for more…and more.
- Theme (4/5) – I really like the graphics on offer here, they’re fun and detailed all in the same breath, with animations and point scoring satisfying.
- Overall (4/5) – Ice Rage is a solid game all round, and something everyone should try – even if you say you don’t like Ice Hockey, it’s just a shame that they’re aren’t more players on the ice at once.
Pros
- Brilliant gameplay will have you coming back time and time again.
- Good-looking 3D Graphics and well-produced sounds help sell the game.
- Multiplayer has never been as accessible and easy to play on a mobile game as it is in Ice Rage, think Fruit Ninja, but much more fun – best played on a tablet.
- Characters you play against are fun and in some cases, bring different difficulties to the table as well.
Cons
- I’d have liked to see more players on the ice when playing.
- Your goalie won’t defined your own hits, leading to a number of own goals.
Conclusion: All-in-all, Ice Rage is an excellent game, there’s nothing here that will put you off and you might yourself spending a lot more time on your smartphone or tablet I know I was spending more time playing thanks to Ice Rage. The gameplay is good, the characters are a lot of fun to play with and play against and thanks to the included multiplayer there’s far more on offer here, than in most other games. For hockey fans, this game is a must, for those just looking for a fun new game to play, there’s no reason for you to not give it a try either.