When comparing Jet Run: City Defender vs Hoplite, the Slant community recommends Hoplite for most people. In the question“What are the best one handed Android games?” Hoplite is ranked 7th while Jet Run: City Defender is ranked 27th. The most important reason people chose Hoplite is:
You must plan your movements and attacks, paying attention to all enemy positions and their attacks. This makes for a game that the player can pore over their options, for as long as they like, which can be pretty enveloping.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Flashy arcade styled flight sim graphics
For what can often be a a tired genre on mobile platforms, Jet Run: City Defender offers a fantastic arcade graphic style on top of the endless runner gameplay.
Pro Controls are responsive, simple and intuitive to use
The touch screen control scheme for Jet Run: City Defender is tap and swipe based. While being intuitive enough for the novice gamer to figure out there is still enough challenge to mastering the technique. Taping is used to shoot missiles at aliens while the swiping is used to avoid objects and make turns. Being that the controls are responsive means the game is a joy to control.
Pro Gameplay is a fun mix of 80's style space invaders and the endless runner genre
The gameplay of Jet Run: City Defender has the player tapping on the screen to shoot rockets at space invader styled aliens while also swiping on the screen to avoid obstacles and collect coins.
Pro Deep gameplay that harkens back to chess or other grid based games, where planning and strategy take a front seat
You must plan your movements and attacks, paying attention to all enemy positions and their attacks. This makes for a game that the player can pore over their options, for as long as they like, which can be pretty enveloping.
Pro Easy to understand the rules as any pertinent info is relayed before a move decision is needed
Someone called it "Chess, the roguelike". You have all the information before you move, every time. Enemies follow a simple ruleset, with no variation. There is almost no randomness. You know that you will die the turn before you do, and you will die because you painted yourself into a corner.
Pro Great replay value thanks to the roguelike random generation
There is a good list of achievements, which creates a high replay value. It encourages the user to play very differently in subsequent replays. Which is great for keeping the game fresh.
Pro Can be played at your own pace thanks to the turn based nature of the title
Hoplite is a turn based game, making for something that people can take their time with, deciding on their strategy for each move.
Pro Extended gameplay when you finish the title, with the fun but difficult game+ gameplay mode
Starting on level 16, the altars get replaced by a portal. The player has the choice to "win" the game by exiting through the portal, or to ignore the portal on that level and venture deeper, aiming for higher scores on progressively more difficult floors. This is great for those that enjoy more challenge and extra content past the regular ending.
Pro Well-balanced
Other, more popular, mobile roguelikes are far too random. A lot of people associate roguelikes with randomness, but a lot of effort goes into making sure that they provide consistently winnable games. When you lose a game it should be because you did something dumb, not because the RNG didn't deign it today. Hoplite nails this.
Pro Large assortment of enemies keeps the gameplay and strategies required fresh
There is a wide array of enemies to encounter and fight, which keeps encounters fresh as well as the strategies needed.
Cons
Con Only one environment to play in
There is only one level that the player traverses which can get dull after an extended amount of playing.
Con Short game
Hoplite does not take that long to complete as it can be finished in an average playthrough in around an hour.