War of the Worlds has been performing nicely in theaters, and we just took Gameloft’s mobile phone adaptation of the movie for review. The game has the unusual twist of putting you in control of the bad guys! You get to play an invading alien metal tripod set on destroying the human race. It’s interesting to see the slew of games recently that pit the player against the human race. For more info on the game check out the full review after the jump.

The game features side scrolling action. You are able to control the alien tripod in two ways - you can move it side to side on the scrolling screen using the left and right controls (or 4 and 6 on the keypad), or move the firing target up or down on an arc (or by using 2 or 8 on the keypad). Pressing the center button or 5 on the keypad fires your blazing fireballs. You also can pick up some items (such as mines set by the army to stop you) rather than destroying them before you run into them.

The game is divided into levels with a boss at the end of each level. The levels themselves are fairly easy - for the first three levels I was able to mostly avoid steering entirely if I was able time my shots right. Most of the enemies and buildings that you must destroy cross the bottom of the screen near the left hand side. Bosses are a little more tricky. They are a building or robotic weapon of some sort that the army is using to try to stop you. In the boss fights you must avoid the bosses weapons and any helicopters or planes protecting it while blasting away at the boss and it’s weak spot.

The gameplay is punctuated by TV clips from the local news describing the destruction being wrought by you and your fellow invaders. The TV clips also serve to educate you on new twists in gameplay and give you hints about coming boss battles.

For a Java based cell phone game the graphics are surprisingly animated and fluid.  Obviously this is a 2d game so most phones should be able to keep up with it. On a newer phone with a fast processor the framerate is decent and lag is minimal. The sounds are somewhat repetitive after a while but very well done.

War of the Worlds provides for a fun diversion for a little while. While it’s hardly the only game I would choose to be stranded on a desert island with, it will provide quick fun while waiting for the bus or catching a break from work.