Game Reviews

Railbot

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iOS
| Railbot
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Railbot
|
iOS
| Railbot

The endless-running genre may not have reached stagnation point just yet, but we've reached the stage where fresh entries need to be pretty darn special to catch the attention of long-standing fans.

Railbot's unique feature is given away by its title - you assume the role of a robot who does all the typical endless-running stuff, but also leaps onto rails that allow him to slide along quite gracefully - until the rail ends, of course.

Robot rock

As ever, the objective is to get as far as you can without falling into the abyss or colliding with an enemy, and you can also collect gold coins along the way - these are predictably used to purchase special items in-between games.

These include a protective shield, a laser weapon, and even a massive rocket that propels you over a large distance, adding significantly to your score.

Unlocking all of these items becomes Railbot's main draw during the first few days of play - the challenge of bettering your top score is always in the background, but its allure never seems as strong as it should be.

Of course, there are quick and easy ways to increase your coin count and unlock the special items in a shorter space of time. Opening up your real-world wallet allows you to permanently double the number of coins you collect, or even purchase a massive 40,000 coins in one go.

While this shortcut may grant access to all of the game's content in a more timely manner, it robs you of hours of potential gameplay. Once all the items are available, Railbot's longevity falls off a cliff.

Railing against the boredom

It's hard to put a finger on it, but Railbot just doesn't seem as captivating as other endless-running titles. The presentation is a bit rough in places, and the music straddles the divide between slightly catchy and downright annoying, but that magical something is missing.

Railbot lacks Jetpack Joyride's sense of humor, and Canabalt's tight, unforgiving focus.

However, perhaps the game's biggest failing is that it offers nothing fresh or new. You feel like you've run this distance many times previously, and as a result Railbot's appeal is significantly diminished.

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Railbot

Railbot is entertaining initially, but your attention will soon wander thanks to the fact that it brings little to the distance runner genre that is really new or interesting
Score
Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.