|
31 May 2011
Posted in
News -
Site
From Illusion Labs, the studio that brought us Labyrinth 2, comes the latest Game of the Week. Combining innovative gameplay with top-of-the-class graphics, it's a star. Read on for the full write-up
I've had experience with Illusion Labs before, and they've never failed to impress. Some of you will remember my article on Labyrinth 2, a remake on the classic ball-in-a-box game we've all played. While Touchgrind BMX isn't exactly a remake of a classic, any of us who've played with little "Techdecks" or the BMX equivalent of those will feel instantly at home with this new Game of the Week.
The concept itself is original on the app store; You play as a BMX in a 3D game world. 3D games aren't anything new on the iPhone, and neither are games involving BMXing, but not combinations of the two. Oh, and there's no rider, either. Just the bike.
But that's not to say there isn't a driver. That's where you come in, and you'll find it easy with the simple control system. There's that word again - Simple - but it really is. If you want the bike to do a backflip, you just push the back of the bike down. The controls are just natural, and you'll find yourself picking it up without an issue. But, as with many games on the App Store, while playing it may be simple, mastering it certainly isn't. You've got standard tricks like front flips, back flips, and tailspins. But you can earn mega points by performing those tricks while upside down, or facing the wrong way round, and doing that takes some serious practice.
And practice is something you're going to need to be doing a lot of. This game isn't a pushover. In fact, it probably borderlines on too hard, with huge amounts of points needing to be scored in order to unlock new bikes and locations. That's not to say it's impossible, and I found the challenge satisfying, providing a real sense of achievement when you do finally manage to unlock something new. But if you're after something to boost your self confidence or make you feel like you can win anything, this game isn't for you.
It is for you, however, if you like games that really showcase what the iPhone is capable of. The graphics are smooth, although it is hard to say whether or not it uses Retina graphics in gameplay. But since I can't tell, it's obviously not that big of a deal unless you're an absolute graphics nazi. Which I'm not. Obviously.
It's all part of the trick. Really, it is.
Once you've completed a track, you get the option of watching a replay, which can be posted on Youtube or Facebook easy as pie. Think of the possibilities! You no longer have to wait till you see your friends to rub your high score in their faces; you can do it while your miles away. Doesn't that sound like a safer alternative to you?
The range of unlockables is good, but not amazing. There are three type of things to unlock; Tracks, bikes, and paint jobs. Those three explain themselves, so I don't see the need to go into detail, but I do want to mention what I would have preferred to see in unlockables. I was hoping for more customization options; Tyres, handlebars, that kind of thing. Basically a build-your-own-BMX kind of thing. You know what I mean. Maybe in the next update, Illusion Labs?
The other downer is price, as the price tag of $6.49 sets it higher than the cost of your average game. Sure, you get what you pay for, but I've got the feeling that they'd get more downloads if they lowered the price to something a little more reasonable.
So overall, it's not hard to see why Touchgrind BMX made it to the proverbial pedestal that is Game of the Week. It's a refreshing change, steering clear of the generic game formula that's plaguing the App Store in recent days and jumping handlebars-over-wheels over the competition. If they can fix the few issues, Illusion Labs will have an absolute star on their hands.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment form
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|