Gameloft's mobile tie-in to Marvel's latest superhero flick, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, sees star-spangled hero Steve Rogers battling enemy troops (no spoilers!) with his fists, feet, and shield. Unlike his 2011 console outing (Captain America: Super Soldier) this time Cap doesn't have to fight alone. The $2.99 app (which is also available on Android) is a squad-based action title that lets gamers control Cap as well as a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents whose members each possess specialized combat abilities. The Winter Soldier has the elements of a competent mobile action game with its solid combat engine and attractive, cel-shaded comic book-like graphics. Sadly the repetitive missions, an always-online requirement, and in-app purchase prompts kill much of the joy.

Gripping the Shield

The Winter Soldier, at its core, is an attractive, Diablo-like dungeon crawler in which you collect gold and loot while vanquishing enemies. Each stage tasks you with accomplishing a mission that's vital to world safety, such as rescuing captured agents or hacking enemy computer terminals. The stages, thankfully, are relatively short affairs you can complete in under five minutes—one of the defining marks of a solid mobile game. I've tackled and beaten entire missions while standing on a Duane Reade check-out line. The Winter Soldier is entertaining in small bites, but there isn't much game play variance to keep you entertained during long gaming sessions