In general terms, stress is not a good thing. Looming deadlines, hectic commutes, fiscal pressures.. stress a recipe for a headache at best or an ulcer at worst. This is why it was surprising to be in a situation where the stress was high and it was, bafflingly, enjoyable. The situation in question came midway through wave ten of Final Fury, a tasty app from up and coming developer Walnut. With my health bar nearly depleted and a horde of alien foes closing in, all hope seemed lost and, despite a pounding heart and increasingly gritted teeth, I found myself having a blast.
You know how some iPhone and iPad games just feel...right? Well, this is one of them. Final Fury has all of the makings of a blockbuster title: endless customization, face melting graphics, and up-all-night replayability. You can spot a fantastically polished app like this from a mile away. Check out the game video and see for yourself.
Final Fury is a top down, alien blasting shooter of the twin stick variety that does away with the second stick in favor of a different aesthetic. Players control their character's movement with their left thumb on a virtual joystick while the character itself autofires at the nearest threat, freeing that right thumb up to activate life saving skills or tap-target enemies that are particularly dangerous at any particular moment.
By eliminating the need to direct your own bullets, Final Fury surpasses most games of this genre and becomes something more akin to a bullet hell style game. The focus becomes avoiding enemies and the projectiles they hurl at you while waiting for the opportune moment to drop one of your powerful special attacks. The formula change is welcome and makes for quite a hectic experience. With endless looming enemies and plenty of combat pressure, Final Fury is sure to put one hell of a stressed out smile on your face.
TL;DR: Final Fury will make you sweat bullets right into alien brain cases.
