There's nothing quite so disappointing as attempting to enjoy a game that has received so much care and a attention, only to be cut off at the knees by the gameplay it tries so desperately to cling on to. e-Pig Rope is a fantastic concept, but attempting to complete this rope-swinging title is an exercise in pure self-hatred.

The controls are quite simple to pick up and learn - your pig floats down the screen somewhat unrealistically, but this provides you with the time to tap and hold on to hook points that allow you to swing around the screen. Progressing forward can be ungainly as the top speed at which you can travel is severely capped and changing the direction of your momentum is somewhat slow - though this is likely in deference to the pig's weight, regardless of his odd floating nature.

Getting used to the controls can take a bit of time, though the addition of enemies ramps the difficulty to a magnitude that borders on vertical. Your piggy can only take one shot before dying, yet you must let go of the rope you're on in order to even see the enemies that are incoming, let alone to tap them before re-attaching to a hook point. To be fair, some hook points are painted different colors to warn you of the incoming dangers, however this is often scant enough warning before you plunge on to your death.

All of this is packaged in to a visually stunning world that is animated smoothly with eye-catching designs that are certainly worthy of much greater games. Unfortunately the conflict of staying in control versus staying alive feels like a fundamental flaw brought on by the need to at least partially obscure the screen, making it a poorly designed concept for a touch device. There's a decent game buried in e-Pig Rope if you're willing to accept its learning curve, but the frustration is liable to kill the fun for all but the most dedicated of gamers.