Will Boom Beach blow up the iTunes AppStore?
Boom Beach is the newest game from Finnish studio Supercell, creators of hits such as Clash of Clans and Hay Day. Playing Boom Beach is more like playing Clash of Clans, while expanding our base and attacking our enemies. The action of Boom Beach takes place in a contemporary reality universe with a military-looking emphasis, rather than a land of fantasy.
Build and attack
Studio Supercell have only released two free games so far. Despite that, however, they earn them a lot of money, because the huge numbers of players buying virtual currency speeds up development. The entire world of mobile gaming fans is waiting impatiently for the new game from Supercell, wanting to see if the Finns have a unique recipe for creating highly immersive games and making mountains of money from them.
Boom Beach is therefore a great test for Supercell. That's why the game was only made available in two countries, to test the reactions of the players and to apply patches before the global premiere.
In Boom Beach, there are two tasks to complete: expand your base and attack other bases located in a vast archipelago of islands. The game does of course start with a tutorial, which explains the most basic elements. The most important building in the base is the Headquarters. If enemy troops manage to destroy it, then it gives them an automatic victory. You have to protect it and to do so, you can use sniper towers, a mortar or a machine gun.
Leveling up the Headquarters also gives you access to new types of buildings. Having secured your base, it's time to set out and conquer the dozens of islands that are dotted around in the neighboring sea. Some of them are controlled by the computer, and the development of others are in the hands of the other players. Our troops disembark on the beach. They then attack the nearest enemy building using a flare, which is the default method of attack unless you change it. Also in the bay is your Destroyer, which you can use to fire several destructive missiles or flares.
The gameplay of Boom Beach is very similar to that of Clash of Clans, you just don't have any clans or other groups of players. You fight alone against the Black Guard, which is controlled by the computer as well as against other players. The whole scheme in Boom Beach is more contemporary, and is loosely styled on the era of the Second World War and the battles in the Pacific.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it
The control and design of the game menu in Boom Beach resembles Clash of Clans. Since the game is similar in terms of gameplay, the developers have resorted to a tried and tested scheme that's already been proven to work.
Graphics and sound in Boom Beach are, well, perfectly fine. It's hard to fault them, but equally, it's difficult to love them. The image of your base and the other bases can be zoomed in on and you can see the buildings and characters rendered in more detail, but they don't seem quite as polished as those of Clash of Clans.
Will it be a success?
Boom Beach has proven gameplay mechanics that are very similar to Clash of Clans, so players can easily understand how to play and what's going on. The location of the game in a new setting – a more modern and realistic one – may also attract more fans.
So, it does seem as if Boom Beach is a game destined for success. It's difficult, however, to say that Boom Beach is a delight, simply because it's not very original. If, however, you're after a casual game with elements of strategy and multiplayer duels in a military setting, then Boom Beach should be right up your street.
