Game Reviews

Smashing Rush review - A run-of-the-mill runner

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iOS
| Smashing Rush
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Smashing Rush review - A run-of-the-mill runner
|
iOS
| Smashing Rush

Saying that Smashing Rush is a slick, handsome endless runner doesn't really mean very much these days.

It's a bit like saying a new prestige TV series has a strong cast, or that the latest sci-fi movie has convincing special effects. In each case, this is the bare minimum we've come to expect.

Smashing Rush is indeed a slick, handsome endless runner. But what else does it have to offer?

Run for your money

Not all that much of note, is the answer to that last question.

Your character (which is randomly selected at the outset) runs from left to right. You tap the left side of the screen to jump (twice to double-jump) and the the right side of the screen to initiate a destructive dash.

You'll need to employ this limited move-set to bound through the game's constant roll of themed levels, avoiding spikes and pits, bounding off the odd wall, and collecting the occasional bonus pick-up.

Catch-'em-all

That's about it, really. The main driver of the game - aside from getting as far as you can on each run, of course - is acquiring each of the 21 different characters.

These are pretty neat, incorporating everything from a Power Ranger to a Bruce Lee-a-like, each with their own animations and sound effects.

But the differences between them are purely cosmetic. There's no real reason to grab them all unless you have a completionist streak.

Running with a slight limp

On the plus side, Smashing Rush's levels are hand crafted rather than randomised. This means that they have a deliberate pace and layout.

It also means that you find yourself getting better at a really rather challenging game, as you commit the level layouts to memory. Conversely, as you find yourself getting stuck on the same sections repeatedly, it can grow quite tiresome.

I should also point out that I played the game on two very different devices - an iPhone X and an iPad Air 2 - and the game didn't seem to be well optimised for either.

It was letterboxed on Apple's current flagship smartphone (which has been out for several months now), while it didn't run completely fluidly on the older tablet.

So that's Smashing Rush - a perfectly proficient, deeply forgettable endless runner that isn't fully optimised for very old or very new devices.

Smashing Rush review - A run-of-the-mill runner

Smashing Rush is a perfectly fine endless runner in a sea of perfectly fine endless runners. There's pretty much nothing that makes it stand out from the crowd
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Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.