Across Age ™ Review
PROS
- Unique puzzle and combat based around cooperative gameplay.
- Compelling story that's paced well.
- Perfect for casual and hardcore gamers.
CONS
- Controls are loose and occasionally stick on the game world.
- Combat isn't entirely in your control.
VERDICT
Across Age straddles the hardcore and casual line of gaming beautifully with its simplified controls and fun accessible gameplay.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
With so many different games in production for the App Store it's easy to see the experimentation that goes on, resulting in new or modified genres. Across Age is a fantasy Action-RPG from FDG Entertainment that's perfect for the platform and adds to the genre in an interesting way.
Initially there's nothing too new about the controls of Across Age as it uses the standard virtual analogue stick and button combinations, but the game quickly introduces a character swapping mechanic that adds new depth to the gameplay. Each of the two main characters has access to abilities that manipulate the world and combining their skills is necessary to complete puzzles throughout the world. Movement can be sticky or prone to sliding too much which makes the game feel a bit clunky, but ultimately doesn't make the game unplayable.
Across Age uses a fairly standard fantasy JRPG sprite-based world that's a throw-back to the classic 16-bit era. It's a clean style that's generally free of pixelation, but the generic art will give all but the most dedicated fans a sense of deja-vu. Gameplay mechanics that include time-travel and cooperative use of each character for puzzles keeps the game interesting.
The popularity of large-scale RPGs on the App Store shows just how much of a gaming platform it has become and makes a great change of pace from the endless casual games. Across Age is a game for classic action-RPG fans and a great introduction to the genre for casual gamers.