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Parry and dodge
Art and Graphics
The one area where "Infinity Blade III" delivers everything it promised, and more, is in the visuals department. The design of both the characters and the world is immediately striking and delightfully anachronistic.
Knights decked out in futuristic armor whale away at ogres, while neon blue holographic computer simulations run in the background. Siris and Isa travel between a sophisticated medical laboratory and a bucolic field streaked with ruins.
The A7 chip does much of what it promised, as well: The particle effects in the game, particularly lightning strikes, look amazing, and the animation is as smooth as butter whether characters are engaging in heated swordfights or simply walking from place to place.
Those with other iDevices need not worry too much; the game still looks fine on an iPad and a regular iPhone 5, although the particle effects are noticeably less flashy. The backgrounds can also appear a little jagged when blown up on a bigger screen; this is definitely a phone game, first and foremost.
Music and Audio
"Infinity Blade III" is fully voiced, although there's not much to report beyond that. Each character's voice actor puts in a respectable performance, although you're not likely to remember anyone in particular a few months from now.
The music is similarly forgettable. Sweeping orchestral pieces rule the day during battle, while more subdued tunes round out explorable stages and character-driven cutscenes. You won't want to turn the sound off, although you won't miss much if you don't feel like plugging in your earbuds.
Bottom Line
In spite of its almost incomprehensible narrative, there's nothing really wrong with "Infinity Blade III" from a gameplay perspective. Returning players won't find much that's new, and newcomers will learn to enjoy the precise, challenging combat.
Yet repetition does set in after a while. If you play "Infinity Blade III" for 30-minute intervals on the subway, this won't be a problem; if you want to sit down and sink your teeth into something, you may be better served elsewhere.
The game's inconsistent difficulty and storytelling foibles aside, "Infinity Blade III" is a perfectly serviceable entry in a popular franchise. If you've played the first two games in the trilogy and want to see how the story shakes out, it's a fun way to pass a few otherwise unproductive hours.
If the game is supposed to herald a shift in mobile gaming, though, then expect the future to be safe and a little bit monotonous.
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Publisher: Epic Games
Developer: Chair Entertainment
Genre: Action/RPG
Price: $6.99
Release Date: Available now
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
