iPhone App: Canabalt
= 5 stars
Action game based on running, jumping, and… that’s it.
The Good
- Simple idea executed amazingly well. Your character runs automatically to the right as fast as possible, and you just tap the screen to jump. You’re running on roof tops and must jump from building to building. So basically you have just one control, and it’s all about timing. There’s a little bit of strategy in slowing down your character by running into objects.
- The game sucks you in with a fast, relentless pace, retro greyscale graphics (reminds me of Lode Runner or some early Nintendo game), and begging for a new game as soon as you perish. The type of game that you play once, wonder, “is that it?” but later return to repeatedly.
- Variety comes clear in subtle ways. The arrangement of buildings changes every time, so don’t expect to devise a pattern. You crash through windows, scattering white glass about, disturb pigeons hanging out on certain building tops, and die by lingering too long on a collapsing building, or running into bombs that have suddenly landed in your path.
- What exactly are you running from? It’s never made explicitly clear, but in the background of the city scape are silhouettes of tall, War of the Worlds type machines. Spooky.
The Bad
- No matter how far you run, you never arrive at any semblance of safety. Would be nice to break up things with an accomplishment of some sort.
Conclusion
Excellent, addicting game. A deceptively simple combination of parkour, The Fugitive, and War of the Worlds. Recommended.
iTunes App Store Link: 