Hand of God is a fast pace, time waster of a game for Windows Phone where you must save people from an erupting volcano and the havoc it is creating.
Game play with Hand of God are simple and straightforward with the pace of the game creating most of the challenge. The game is available for low-memory Windows Phones and features two gaming modes to keep things from growing stale too quickly. First impressions are good with Hand of God and it could be a fun game to pass short bits of time with.
There's not much to the main menu of Hand of God with options to jump into game play, mute the sound and view the About Screen. Game play currently has two gaming modes with a third marked as "coming soon".
The two current game modes include a Survival Mode and a Timed Mode. The Survival Mode calls on you to save all the people with a limited number of gaming lives (three) that are exhausted as you fail to save a person. The Timed Mode gives you 90 seconds on the clock and you have to save as many people as possible. Should a few slip through the cracks, no harm done.
In either mode, game play is basically the same. A volcano is erupting between two multi-story buildings slap full of people. Instead of riding the volcano out inside the building, people will begin jumping from the roof, windows and fire escapes. It is your job to catch them before they hit the ground.
To do so, just tap the screen beneath someone falling and a magical portal will briefly appear to catch them and transport them to safety. Timing is key because the portal won't stay open forever and not everyone falls at the same rate of speed.
You have some that fall like a rock, some the arch their jumps more than others and some use umbrellas to slow their descent. For each person you save, you earn a point and the game will award you for multiple saves and consecutive saves with bonus points.
Overall Impression
Hand of God may not be a Windows Phone game worthy of marathon gaming sessions but it does come across as a fun way to pass shorter bits of time with.
Graphics and animations are well drawn up with nice detail. There is a dynamic system, should you survive long enough, where the game will transition between day and night. I also like how the emergency vehicles randomly pull up to the scene.
Game play isn't difficult, but again, the pace of the game can give you fits. Some of the people blend in well with the building and it is easy to miss them and when the game heats up and dozens of people are jumping to safety, it can be difficult to keep up with the pace.
All in all, Hand of God is a nice title to have stashed away in your Windows Phone gaming library. The game is relatively new to the Windows Phone Store and as the reviews approach 150 in number, the game scores a 4.5 Star rating, which is just about right for Hand of God.