Amazing Runner Review
PROS
- Cool visual blend of sci-fi with Asian influences.
- Interesting take on the Temple Run formula; mixes in 'gravity' elements to keep you on your toes.
CONS
- Banal level layouts; repetitious within each section and slow to ramp-up in challenge.
- Unlockable power-ups feel exceedingly powerful even early on; limits your sense of progress.
VERDICT
Amazing Runner starts off as a beautiful Temple Run clone, but fails to follow through with a truly unique experience.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
It seems every man and his dog is throwing their hat in to the 'Temple Run' arena of game-a-likes, and Freyr Games are no exception with their Unreal Engine powered title Amazing Runner.
Once you hit start you'll be placed on a futuristic track lined with golden gems that must be collected while avoiding obvious hazards such as the occasional 'robot' placed in your path or game-ending pits that open up before you.
As with its inspirational title, tilting will move you back and forth on the path you're on while swiping up will make you jump. Where things diverge slightly is in the 'anti-gravity' paths that range from being on the left or right side of the player (swiping in those directions to stick to them); above the player (swipe up); and most baffling of all the occasional 'spiral' path that requires you to execute a particularly finnicky 'circle' gesture to stay aloft.
All of this would be exciting if it wasn't so bland in its execution - from the repetitive way in which the stages are constructed, to the extremely slow ramp-up in difficulty - your only real problem will be in surviving each loop (and even then you'll eventually master them). As such, the inclusion of unlockable power-ups seems almost overkill, especially as they last for significantly generous periods of time even at their initial level.
It's possible all of this is designed to lead the player towards unlocking the alternative characters, complete with unique animations and effects, but the prohibitive cost of them tips your hand towards In-App Purchases to cover the difference.
Pretty though its Unreal presentation may be, its beauty is skin-deep and fans of auto-runners will only find a bland and repetitive experience inside if they decide to try it out.