1. I understand what you have to work with, the iPhone and iPod touches arent necessairily the PSP of graphics or computing power. BUT, DONT tease your previewers interesting in getting a FREE LITE app with stuff that isnt really there.
But I have to say that I think you could get a much better following with this game if you just tweaked a few things that made the game more interesting.
The game is loud and clunky. Most classic horror games such as dead space, silent hill, and even amnesia center around everything being quiet. Feeling alone... and for that reason, I dont think this game needs music. And if you do keep it in, please quiet it in the menu, or maybe dim the screen.
Im not going to complain that that setting reeks of polygons, because it throws me back to the likes of wolfenstein. BUT! I will complain that the sprites disappear and reappear from time to time. This is unfair to the player... (respawning creatures in a horror game. Its not scary, its just mean.)
I do want to talk about the enemies though. All hits from the enemies (I encountered) were instant kill. This wouldnt be too bad if the monsters werent fast, in your face, and hiding behind closed corners. With it this way, the player sees the game as a puzzle rather than an experience and thus the creatures arent scary. we expect them. We jump once, and then its done. We know they are there so why bother? This could be remedied by simply having multiple possible random templates of where creatures can spawn in a level that is loaded when the level starts. (Randomly chosen of course)
Also, the weapons in the game seem a little... off. the hit box for the creatures seem huge. which makes aiming easier, but also creates possible cheap deaths. The shotgun seems to be an instant kill. the Grenade-thingy creates a splash attack, and the assult rifle is well, a machine gun. One issue that lies here is that when you run out of ammo, you are screwed. I never ran into an ammo pack... or you could have the creatures drop them. that would be the most user friendly option, or, maybe make those guns tactical weapons, they only get limited ammo, while you can have a different weapon (pistol?) that is significantly weaker, but infinate ammo. I think one creature took about 3/4ths a clip of an assault rifle? maybe have the pistol take 7-8 shots to kill a creature... with maybe a 5 second interval between each shot... as to not break the benefit of infinate ammo. And having to reload a clip take time. That is a problem I personally had with all the weapons. You have to reload the gun... so have an interval before you shoot again.
OR maybe dont do any of the weapon suggestions. Instead, have a sneaking element. This would wreack your original intention of fighting the monsters, but it would instill a better feeling of horror into the players... the dread of being caught. Of course though, I never was caught by the creatures in level one, and found joy in running around them in circles, watching them chase me and making their "get in my belly" noises.
As is, I cant really say that its scary or even a horror game. its more a first person shooter with surprises and a few jump scares with creepy environments. I think there is lots of potential,even with the graphics. But for a lack of horror and faulty controls.
Rating: 3/10
Replay value: Low
Buy the regular: Not until improvements are made.