Ziggurat (video game)
| Ziggurat | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Action Button Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Freshuu, Action Button Entertainment |
| Platform(s) | iOS |
| Release | February 17, 2012 |
| Genre(s) | Shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Aggregate score | |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 83/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Edge | 9/10 |
| Eurogamer | 8/10 |
| Paste | 9.0/10 |
| TouchArcade |   |
Ziggurat, stylized as ZiGGURAT, is a retro-style arcade shooter video game developed by Action Button Entertainment for iOS platforms. As the world's last human fighting off incoming alien freaks from atop a ziggurat, the player uses touch controls to charge and shoot the enemies away, and dies if hit by an enemy. The game has 16-bit graphics style and an 8-bit chiptune soundtrack. Action Button designer Tim Rogers developed the game idea based on his experience with Angry Birds, which later led to his forming Action Button as a company with Ziggurat as its first release on February 17, 2012.
The game received "generally favorable" reviews, according to video game review score aggregator Metacritic. Reviewers praised Ziggurat's nuanced controls and minimalism. Time magazine picked the game as one of the best for the then new high-resolution third generation iPad.
As the "Last Human on Earth", the player fights off approaching enemies with their laser rifle. The player-character, stationary atop a mountain peak (ziggurat) at the top of the world and end of time, attacks incoming mono-eyed alien freaks and dies upon the first hit from any enemy. The player earns a score based on their number of aliens killed before succumbing. The aliens vary in size and shape, from "blue freaks" who pogo like the Tektites from Zelda, to stealth yellow freaks, to shielded, aggressive red freaks, to bullet-sponge giant freaks.
There are two shooting modes: Precision and Slingshot. In Precision, players control the shot by sliding their fingers along the bottom of the screen, which calculates the arc and direction of the shot. In Slingshot, like Angry Birds, players draw back their shots like slingshots. The shot grows in power the longer the screen is held, and the shot is fired when the player lets go. Weak shots will also arc down with gravity, and strong shots will decrease in power if held too long. There are no power-ups, no gamified micropayments, and no pause function, but there are achievements such as living to see the end of the universe. It also integrates "pro-social" features like GameCenter and Twitter.
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