Game Reviews

Rocket Fox

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Rocket Fox
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Finding the right control method for your game is difficult at the best of times, and the limitations of iOS devices make it harder still.

One option is tilt controls, but they're notoriously hard to get right. Just look at Rocket Fox, a game with an intriguing central premise that's let down by accelerometer controls that never quite click.

Flower power

The game casts you as Guy, a cheery little fox who's training to become a master of the flowerocket - a cross between a lilypad and a firework that you use to travel through the game.

Every level starts with you stood next to a flowerocket that explodes and fires you off into the air. From there, it's up to you to tilt your device, guiding Guy through blue skies in order to land on the next explosive piece of flora.

Essentially, you're playing a platformer from an over-the-shoulder perspective, and it feels like a mix between AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! (Force = Mass x Acceleration) and some of the cuter 3D leapers from the early noughties.

Dodgy landing

After the first few levels, the game starts to throw in some twists: flowerockets that fire out more than one charge (and can set off others when they do), twisting columns of wind, rings of petals that need to be flown through, and baby flowers that require a rocket-based kickstart before you can bounce on them.

Later on you'll be dodging tanks and lightning clouds as well. The problem is, the device-tilting control scheme just doesn't give you the accuracy you need to get things done. Throw in a few poorly designed levels and the frustration really starts to kick in.

Rocket Fox has a brilliant idea at its core, but it gets lost beneath a control scheme that lacks finesse. There are times when you feel like you're soaring through the sky, but all too often you get dragged back to the ground with an uncomfortable crunch.

Rocket Fox

While it's not without its merits, a clumsy control system and some badly thought-out levels mean Rocket Fox doesn't quite reach the heights it's aiming for
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.