Description: Targeted is a sidescrolling action game where you control a missile bound to reach it’s target and your goal is to try and keep the missile in the air as long as you can without it hitting anything and blowing a whole lot of stuff up, however there is an end to the stage. The game puts you in the role of Cole Pierce, and you are the pilot guiding the missile towards its destination. You have been recruited by the military as a special elite tactician who is tasked with stopping a global nuclear holocaust. You must guide the missile towards its target if the earth is to avoid certain doom.
How It Works: Before you can save the planet from total nuclear destruction you have to grab the game from the Play Store. Once you have the game installed on your device open it up and take on your mission.
Targeted is a simple 2D side scrolling action game that tasks you with guiding a missile that will help to stop a nuclear holocaust to the end of each stage to eventually reach its target. The controls are simple and easy to get used to so there’s no having to fumble around with tough controls
While your game controls are a simple up and down button to guide the missile out of harms way, the stage completion is not as simple as you might think. There is definitely a level of challenge involved here
Work your way past enemy ships, destroyers and other obstacles like islands and land masses. Avoid enemy fire of rockets and gun fire trying to shoot your missile down.
The challenge of making it to the end of the stage will begin to get a little addictive. Some points are fairly difficult so when you die and have to restart, you will get this feeling of a need to get further than before. There are unlimited lives, so no matter how many times you die and have to start over, which might be a lot, you can play until you pass the stage. Some checkpoints would be nice to see though.
There are 12 unique levels to complete, each one a little more challenging than the one prior. As you start the game, the missile will begin to fly extremely fast through the air which is what will make it hard to react to oncoming obstacles. When you press on the controls however it will slow things down a little bit so you have some time react to the dangers in front of you.
Opinion: For a simple side scrolling game the level of difficulty was quite surprising to me. I like that the controls are a simple up and down navigation. It gives the game that old school feel from playing simple PC games when I was a kid. I would like to have seen a little better graphics and the ability to reach checkpoints throughout each stage, even if there was only one. Despite its complexity, the game actually did get a little addictive.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – There really wasn’t much of a lag throughout the game when playing, although it did seem to stutter during launch
- Features (4/5) – Sometimes simple games can be the most fun, and while this was a somewhat addicting game I would have liked to see some more features
- Theme (3/5) – The graphics are a little more basic than I usually prefer when it comes to games, but the story helps to give the game a good feel and gives it more structure.
- Overall (4/5) – There is definitely an element of retro nostalgia within the game as these are the kinds of games I grew up with. The simplicity of it will make it easy to play for anyone, but the challenge is what will keep people playing.
Pros
- Simple, fun gameplay with easy controls
- Challenging and addictive
- No IAP, one time buy of the game
- Good game for anyone who played PC games like this back in the day
Cons
- The graphics might cause some players to steer clear as they are more old school
Conclusion: If you are looking for something to play that gives you a challenge and might bring back memories of old PC games, Targeted can provide that for you. The two button controls with up and down navigation will make it easy enough for anyone to pick up, but the challenge to dodge and avoid obstacles with little reaction time should really appeal to those who come from a generation of harder video games.