Raid Leader is a real-time strategy RPG hybrid developed by Red Zebra Games and published by Crescent Moon Games. Inspired by the raiding elements found in recent MMO’s, Raid Leader brings a true ‘raiding’ experience to iOS.

Raid Leader ($0.99)   iOS Universal

“Help save the land of Eldentir from the evil and corrupted demon Belfanor and his invading legion of monsters. You, as the Raid Leader must guide a small band of Heroes through Eldentir and face the demon King in the final battle.”

Presentation

Raid Leader takes the MMO ‘raiding’ experience and trims it down so that it can be played by a single person. You take control of a tank, healer, and range DPS, all at the same time. Each character type has two skill slots where skills can be placed to help make the fight easier.

Gold is earned after each battle, which is then used to upgrade existing skills or purchase new ones. Raid leader won’t blow you away with its visuals, but they aren’t terrible either. There isn’t really a story to follow, just your three hero’s and a series of boss battles, which I enjoyed.

Controls

Like MikaMobile‘s Battleheart, you control your characters by dragging them to either an enemy(to attack), an ally (to heal), or away from danger. I had a terrible time with the games controls, often pulling down the notification center by accident when trying to issue a command. I also had trouble moving my tank out of the way at times because the boss was in the way.

At least the skills were easier to use, activated by simply tapping the appropriate portrait at the bottom of the screen. Despite my frustration with the controls, I found that playing on the iPad was much less frustrating because the larger screen. Since the game is universal, I strongly suggest players try it on an iPad first. (if you have one)

Gameplay

The game features 15 boss battles, as well as a few arena levels that earn you gold. Gold can also be purchased through IAP for those looking to progress faster. The first levels are easy, but you’ll soon find that battles will require you to do more that just tank, heal, dps.

Some boss fights have additional enemies to fight, or special requirements like making sure to fight the boss over the lava in order to damage him. You’ll need to be aware of what’s going on at all times, constantly moving your character out of harms way and making sure to pickup agro with your tank.

Suggestions

I wish there were more skills for each character, but hopefully Red Zebra Games adds more in future updates. Also, more content would be great, instead of re-using the same boss battles.

Conclusion

As a fan of MMORPG’s and raiding, I can’t help but like some of the elements in Raid Leader. However, if you’re not a fan of the genre, this game will be frustrating and difficult. If you give it a chance though, Raid Leader does offer a good challenge and since it’s universal it can be enjoyed on all your iOS devices for only $0.99 cents. 8/10.