iPhone and iPod Touch owners have at least one thing in common when dealing with App Store games: every last person to download Epic Citadel was treated to a blowing of their minds. Infinity Blade’s preceding showcase demo “game” Epic Citadel first stole your breath with its high definition graphics and gorgeous 3D environments; I’m talking well beyond DVD picture quality on a relatively puny screen. And while Epic Citadel featured no more than two virtual joysticks and a lush, diverse land for exploration, it kept me coming back time and again just to reassure myself that magic really does exist, and I can put it in my pocket. Corny Apple marketing lingo aside, Epic Citadel was beautiful but barren; it was awesome but absent of any action, not unintentionally, but what a tease right?

Enter Infinity Blade. Epic Games took their citadel of marvelous beauty and pumped it full of finger-swiping combat challenges. You won’t be able to freely roam the castle and its grounds as was allowed in Epic Citadel, and that’s understandable. That restrictiveness may disappoint some, but the direction Infinity Blade took is both functional and fitting given that the game is more so a brawler than a full-fledged RPG. Rather than physically moving your character with thumb sticks, traversing those incredibly detailed environments from one defeated enemy to the next challenger is automated. You’ll watch your character’s trek across a bridge or climb a castle wall, for example. These moments are your unique opportunities to tap items scattered throughout the realm, like health potions, sacks of money, and an occasional treasure chest. It’s a brilliant alternative to cutscenes, and the impatient, combat hungry players can even fast forward through them with the touch of a button.

Infinity Blade’s plot is as basic and uninspired as it gets, and yet miraculously it doesn’t come off as cheesy or droll. The cliche ultimate boss – God King – possesses the legendary Infinity Blade and awaits an opponent worthy of his companionship in an even more profound quest. Seeing as he’s also responsible for killing the protagonist’s father and the focal character’s journey is motivated by vengeance, you’ve got a tough choice to make when the God King offers to spare your life. That’s assuming you’ve proven yourself worthy in combat, which I assure you will not happen on your first play through. I appreciated the subsequent option to choose my own ending, but neither is exactly the most satisfying bookend to the brief tale. I’d call that a major flaw in the game’s fundamental design if it weren’t for the literal meaning of Infinity Blade – the number of bloodlines (full games) you can endure has no limit.

After being brutally ousted from life by the God King for the first time, a cut to roughly 20 years later reveals the latest protagonist’s desire to avenge his father – the same knight you controlled and watched fall at the hands of the God King. The cyclical nature of Infinity Blade makes for some outstanding replay value, especially because your hoarded items and cash aren’t lost when beginning a new bloodline. Additional incentive to become an Infinity Blade addict comes in the form of leveling up your character, weapons, armor, shield, and purchasing every last item in the shop. Epic Games really outdid themselves in the ease of use department when browsing for items; weapons, shields, armor and the like are all accompanied with unique stats and are displayed in an easy to navigate set of menus. Scrolling is accomplished via typical iOS vertical swiping, and making a purchase or selling an item requires a simple button tap.

I’m amazed at how rock solid Infinity Blade is given the still-growing platform it’s published on. Hacking and slashing has never been more fun or rewarding, and it’ll have you forgetting that the device’s primary use is making telephone calls. The absence of lag during the lightning fast battles is astonishing, as is the responsiveness and accuracy of the controls when swiping in practically any direction. Parrying is a great way to practice perfectly timed movements, and with three in direct succession you’ll stun your opponent into oblivion, creating a perfect opportunity to tweak that thumb and deliver massive damage. And if worse comes to worst, you’ve always got your rechargeable super attack, in addition to magic spells – even more ways Infinity Blade immerses you into its fantastic gameplay.

Epic Games didn’t just push the bar higher when it comes to making quality iOS games; they chucked it so hard into the air other developers are likely scratching their heads wondering where to even start with a competing product. Infinity Blade may be short and repetitive when you consider the environments and recurring character models, but it’s also more challenging with each successive bloodline. You’re not fighting the exact same battles over and over. Enemies will vary their attacks, introduce new ones, and increase their speed all depending on their character levels. All of what’s housed in Infinity Blade is well worth the $5.99 price tag, and now that Epic Games is already promising an update with surprises, I’m wishing I could award the game an 8.