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Loot Master isn’t a typical RPG per se, but a stripped down version of one where you collect loot and equip them if they are upgrades. The action lies with the fast-paced whack-a-mole style of play where you tap on enemies that come into view from left side of the screen. Tapping them attacks them, and based on your weapon damage and stats, it’ll either kill the enemy with one tap, or it may take multiple attacks. Each wave brings on a new set of enemies, some of them stronger and faster.
Some monsters drop loot, which you can then drag into your inventory for use, or for saving for later. You lose health when enemies reach the right side of the screen, and eventually die when your health runs out. Health potions, mana potions, and energy potions also drop from enemies to help keep the fight going longer. Spells use up mana, while each tap on the screen uses up energy. Energy replenishes gradually, so rapid, random tapping isn’t a viable strategy for this game.
There’s no menu or settings available, although you can pause the game. The pause screen also has hints and instructions on how to play the game.
Much like in World of Warcraft, the loot is broken up in 4 different types of rarity. White items are common, green items are uncommon, blue items are rare, and purple items are epic. Although in Loot Master, purple items aren’t so hard to come by, you’ll regularly be getting them after level 10 or so.
Speaking of levels, you advance in levels, but you have no control over your stats. You don’t get to choose how to allocate your strength, dexterity, intelligence, etc. The only control you have are the kind of equipments you want to equip. Armor, weapons, jewelry and other items can increase your strength, dexterity, wisdom, and stamina. Here’s what each stat does:
- Strength: Boosts damage and energy
- Dexterity: Boosts speed and critical hit chance
- Wisdom: Boosts mana
- Stamina: Health and energy regeneration
Once you die, you’re presented with a screen that presents the information and stats of your game session. It’ll tell you what level you reached, the strength/dexterity/wisdom/stamina you’ve accumulated, experience, average damage of the weapon you have equipped, high scores, and much more. For the high score, you can enter your name, but it is only local, and not a global score board. A typical game lasts from 2 to 5 minutes.
Visually the game is very basic and plain. The enemy glide across the screen as static sprites, there’s no animation. Some enemies periodically go semi-transparent, and for someone visually impaired, it makes it difficult to see them. The 2D background never changes, it remains the same. The sound is fairly average, nothing really stood out, and there’s no music. The game will fade off your own music if you’re playing any when starting up the game.
While the fast-paced style of play is appreciated, I would’ve liked a slower-paced gameplay mode to enjoy collecting the loot, and looking to see what each one has and to make informed decisions. Since there’s no ability to save your progress, though, this would need to be added to enhance the game even further. Also, when a wave is done, it’d be nice to peruse the inventory and make changes to the equipment, but the game leaves you little time to do this.
With the way Loot Master plays now, and the lack of any other gameplay mode, I don’t see this game getting played more than 10 times, and this is coming from a loot junkie with extensive MMO and action RPG experience for over a decade.
However, Loot Master is a first of its kind on the iPhone and they get kudos for trying something new.
Tags: digital concepts, loot master, reviews, rpg
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