Legends of Loot doesn't get off to the best of starts. It forces you to sit for around ten minutes while it downloads 'necessary files', and once that's done it instantly hits you with a pop-up advert tempting you to download another game.
It's a shame that this is the first impression you'll get of Legends of Loot, because once you've gotten beyond that sorry start you're presented with a surprisingly deep and enjoyable freemium dungeon-crawler.
You move through various locations grabbing as much gold as possible and fighting with various monsters - typical RPG stuff, as you might imagine. However, the combat is inspired, taking inspiration from Fruit Ninja to create battles that focus just as much on the player's skill as their equipment loadout.
Loot dropYellow and red dots appear on your opponent, and it's your task to slash the former and avoid the latter. Doing so will enable you to land a successful hit on your enemy, and when it's his turn to attack you can perform the same trick to dodge the blow.
That's if you want to engage in conflict in the first place - Legends of Loot grants you the option to bargain with monsters before a fist is raised in anger, thereby avoiding the danger of physical harm.
The reason you might wish to keep your tunic clean is the in-game wagers, which are decided before you enter a dungeon. You can make various bets - one of which is completing a stage without taking damage - and earn additional cash if you're successful.
It's a neat touch that allows you to create additional objectives for yourself beyond just getting to the conclusion of a level.
Rampant lootingWatching your character mature is satisfying in itself, and the challenge of getting through some of the later dungeons is quite stern. The danger of falling at the final hurdle and losing all of your progress is ever-present, and gives the gameplay a welcome element of tension.
What brings Legends of Loot back down to earth is its uneven presentation. The visuals swing from being decent to awkwardly amateurish, and the developer has failed to give the game a unifying aesthetic to tie everything together.
Another negative point is the atrocious default control scheme, which has your character following your finger - it rarely works, and is best off ignored in favour of the more traditional on-screen joystick.
Legend of Loot's final failing, such as it is, is that unless you open your wallet you're going to be at a distinct disadvantage. The best gear has to be purchased using real money, so be prepared to splash at least a little bit of coin if you want to enjoy the game to its full potential.