Game Reviews

Verticus

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iOS
| Verticus
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Verticus
|
iOS
| Verticus

The only truly disappointing thing about Verticus, a game developed with the help of comics legend Stan Lee, is that you don't get to play as Stan the man himself.

Of course, he makes an appearance, popping up dressed as an army major to give you hints, admonishments, and encouragement, but the star of the show is a masked man in a suit that wouldn't look out of place in a Crysis game.

Base jumping

The plot involves some ludicrous nonsense about alien invaders building a bomb in the core of the earth. It's your job, with the help of Stan, to jump out of a spaceship, plummet down through a city, and snatch the bomb before it can be detonated.

What follows is a twitchy dive simulator that's not too far from indie darling AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! (Force = Mass x Acceleration). You rush down through a series of obstacles, using a virtual stick to weave and dodge your way through them.

There are coins to collect, speed-boosting green triangles to slot yourself through, and mines to stay as far away as possible from. You can spend coins on upgrades and health boosts to help you get closer to your goal.

Once you do manage to snag the bomb, you'll fly through to the other side of the world, where it's snatched back, and you have to go through the whole thing again.

Heroes never win

The game is quick enough that it doesn't get repetitive, and the randomly generated falls mean you're relying on quick reactions rather than learned patterns to succeed. Earning cash to buy weapons and suit upgrades keeps you pushing on, as well.

In the end, Verticus is exactly what you'd expect from a game with Stan Lee's name plastered all over it. It's big, brash, and cartoony, and while it might be lacking a bit in terms of content it's still an awful lot of fun.

While your dives through the centre of the earth might ultimately be fruitless, you'll still have an awful lot of fun as you twitch your way through a hail of explosive mines and deadly alien spaceships.

If you had ever speculated about what kind of game Stan Lee would make if he made games, this is pretty much what you imagined.

Verticus

Fun and fast paced, Verticus might not be the deepest game you'll ever play, but it'll certainly put a smile on your face
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.