Foursaken Media’s genre mashup Heroes and Castles 2 ($1.99) launched about a month and a half ago, but if you’ve been unwilling to drop the initial two bucks on the game, or its more recent 99¢ sale price, then Foursaken has you covered with the just-released Heroes and Castles 2 Free (Free). What’s cool is that there are very few compromises between the paid and free versions of Heroes and Castles 2. In the free version, you’ll earn slightly less crystals, and heroes are slightly more expensive to unlock. Also, in order to collect dropped loot after a battle you’ll need to watch an opt-in video ad. But other than those small changes they’re the same exact game content-wise.

When we reviewed Heroes and Castles 2 following its release, we noted that it was an excellent blend of hack ‘n slash action and tower defense style strategy. The one big negative was that the game was a bit too “console-like" in that the long game sessions didn’t mesh so well with the on-the-go nature of mobile. If you were craving a meaty game though, Heroes and Castles 2 delivered. While the original $1.99 or even the 99¢ sale price are minor barriers to entry, there’s so many games coming out everyday that those little purchases can start to add up. So if that’s what was preventing you trying out Heroes and Castles 2, I highly recommend giving the new free version a spin.