It’s been a while since I’ve used my iPhone for gaming but recently I’ve been playing quite a lot of new apps. Let’s kick things off with Temple Run 2.
The original Temple Run was a massive hit and is still a hugely popular mobile game. I used the play the game too much on my phone a few months back! Gradually, however, it’s shine wore off for me and now it rarely sees me make a return.
Now Temple Run 2 has released. It builds on the same mechanics we saw in the original but it offers a new setting, new obstacles and more ways to play. I can’t help feeling it tries to do too much.
First of all, as with the original, it suffers from extensive lag (from a 3GS user, the experience may be different for users with a never version), more so than any other app I have played. So this means that you need to remember to switch your phone to airplane mode before you load it up otherwise you’re going to have a bad time. With these settings applied it still doesn’t run smooth.
As you can see a lot has changed from the original.
As usual your run begins with the player stealing the golden idol which prompts you to be chased by a giant monster. This time the game features more environments in a new setting; resembling a more western archaeological dig.
Expect to traverse high temple ruins, wooden bridges and forests and even use zip lines and mine carts. There’s a lot more variation to obstacles, with one being a turning spike column! It does also look better than the original in terms of visuals. Textures are sharper and more detailed. The main path isn’t flat or straight either, there’s a lot of bumps and winds along the way.
The scoring and purchasing system remains the same only with one extra addition. Gems are new, they can be used to save yourself if you fail on a run. Repeated use of this feature only makes it more costly though.
All in all Temple Run 2 offers a lot more variation than the original, however, I can’t help feeling that it tries too much. There is always too much going on, which detracts from the fun a little. It also makes the game not so smooth. However, with that being said as a free app it’s a must have for iOS users.
7/10
It’s time to move onto Jurassic Park Builder. You really need to have patience when it comes to this app, but if you are, you are rewarded.
The aim of the game is pretty self explanatory – build your own Jurassic Park. You need to successfully complete DNA genomes to unlock dinosaurs and then you can breed them into different enclosures. You also have to build different structures and plant decorations. There are dozens of different dinosaurs, buildings and decorations to unlock and build.
However, it takes time to gather up enough coins to buy from the market. You collect coins from dinosaurs and buildings. They gradually generate coins over a certain amount of time varying from five minutes up to twelve hours! You can guess that it takes a long time, by that I mean a good month, to get your park fully up and running with lots to show.
The famous Spinosaurus.
You can speed dinosaur hatching and building time up by sacrificing green dollars, of which you earn few, but they run out fast and soon you’re given the option to purchase more using real money. So it’s best to be patient and let these green dollars build up.
As well as terrestrial dinosaurs once you reach level ten (there’s an XP system, which you earn from completing missions) you unlock the underwater park. This new park, all deep underwater, offers even more new marine reptiles and decorations to unlock. Surprisingly though, it’s a lot more expensive in terms of coins to purchase anything.
There’s plenty of things to unlock in the game. I was really surprised at how much it offers, but the key is patience. If you don’t stick at this game then you won’t get its full rewards. By rewards I mean the small satisfaction of having a mini Jurassic park at your finger tips where it doesn’t all go wrong.
The missions, mentioned earlier, range from having to plant a certain amount of decorations to collecting a set amount of coins or crops and meat. Crops and meat are used to feed dinosaurs, depending whether they are herbivores or carnivores. Activating each crop or meat harbour costs coins, and they can also be upgraded to generate more products.
The noises from the dinosaurs are very authentic too. The roars resemble each dinosaur from the films and you can also hear the footsteps of the T-Rex in the background which I find quite nerving. It doesn’t run that well as you build up the park. Everything becomes a little slower, coasting around the park is painfully slow and navigating the market is just frustrating. It could be a lot smoother.
Overall for a free game there is so much on offer. With time you can unlock all the content without spending a penny, and as said there’s a lot of satisfaction to be had once your park hosts a lot of dinosaurs and such. If you’re not a patient person it’s best you give this a miss.
8/10
