While it’s easy to criticize 5th Cell for not being more innovative with Run Roo Run, it’s even easier to say that it’s a fantastic game that deserves its spot on your favorite device of choice at all times.
While it’s easy to criticize 5th Cell for not being more innovative with Run Roo Run, it’s even easier to say that it’s a fantastic game that deserves its spot on your favorite device of choice at all times.
In it, you play as Roo; a kangaroo in Australia whose blue friend is kidnapped and taken to Sydney to be put in a zoo. Roo is, as expected, not too happy about this and sets off to free them.
Run Roo Run is a 2D platformer, but only in the sense in that you are walking right and trying to get to the end of the screen. The end of the screen in this case, however, is also the end of the level. Once completed, you’ll then move on to another level much in the same way Angry Birds or Cut the Rope‘s stages are laid out. Oh, and you are also running automatically, meaning that you don’t have much in the way of controls to worry about either.
But while Run Roo Run might have its level structure inspired by Angry Birds, another easy comparison is in its gameplay, and Canabalt is the analogy that fits this equation perfectly. Roo is constantly running to the right, and all you have to do is tap the screen at the right moment to make him jump, swing and fly past obstacles to complete the level. Completing a set of levels unlocks the next, and with each new section comes some sort of new ability and new obstacle you will have to overcome. Each new ability consistently surprised me with how much more fun it made the game.
After you’ve conquered the main set of levels, there is a subset of extreme levels, as well as free weekly levels that you’ll gain access to play in the future.
One interesting aspect found in Run Roo Run were the in-app purchases, which in other games might irritate players if they feel as though they are forced to spend a buck or two just to make the game a bit better. Run Roo Run‘s approach is more comfortable, only offering an in-app purchase if you are struggling with a level (it’s a lot like the Golden Eagle in Angry Birds). Even then, the prices are extremely generous compared to most games.
Charming is just about the perfect word that comes to mind when thinking of Run Roo Run‘s graphics and sound. These elements gel well with the mechanics of the gameplay, and kept me motivated to keep playing, even well after I claimed that I would stop “after one more level.”
There aren’t really any faults I could find in Run Roo Run that make any kind of difference in quality. Sure, some of the levels felt a bit too easy, but it never became boring (as easy games tend to be), and there were always new mechanics just a few minutes away that would make things fresh again.
Conclusively, I can say that Run Roo Run is definitely one of the best games on iOS. You should expect everyone to be talking about this game soon enough – this one is as platform defining as games get on the App Store.
