SWEEPING isometric 3D landscapes, sword-wielding characters facing off against monstrous foes, and a deep, unfolding narrative to work through... on a phone?
Simple, thumb-twiddling, time-wasting gameplay on the iPhone has been given a console-esque upgrade in the epic Chaos Rings.
Produced by Square Enix Ltd, this RPG adventure brings the game traditions of the Final Fantasy series to your pocket.
The game is set around a battle tournament called Arca Arena, where teams of two compete for victory and eternal life.
Characters gain levels and earn experience points from defeating their foes to upgrade their team’s combo skills, enabling the pair to launch bigger, stronger and more devastating attacks.
What makes the recognisable format more unique is the action is based on pairings of characters - each with their own back story lines which are slowly uncovered as the game moves forward.
Described as "a tale of love and loss 10,000 years in the making", where "a skilled assassin, an eastern princess, a giant axe-wielding warrior and a fierce female fighter" are brought together; it is clear the narrative is firmly within the realm of fantasy role play.
And it works well, throwing together the two feisty characters - the egotistical and ruthless Escher and the strangely angry Musiea - adds more meat on the bones to what could have been a generic turn based attack game.
While waltzing around the lush settings in the search of powerful rings, the player will stumble across magical animals to battle.
Players are given the choice between ”solo” moves, where they can enter commands separately, or “pair” moves, to execute actions as a team.
And defeating the colourful monsters allows the 'heroes' to acquire their DNA and learn special move attacks - keeping the fighting fresh as you move through the levels.
Walking into battles at almost every turn can cause frustration as you attempt to complete your ultimate level goal, but mixing up the rigid 'walk, fight, walk fight' construct are a series of puzzle levels which, once the rules are understood, become welcoming and addictive.
Chaos Rings marks a graphic breakthrough for the iPhone and cements its standing as a genuine rival to portable consoles like the PSP and the GBA.
While RPG fans will no doubt revel in the familiar controls, those uninitiated in the genre may take time getting to grips with the attack system.
However, with plenty of elements to retain interest, it is sure to appeal to a wide range of game lovers.