Game Reviews

Dr. Jolt

Star onStar onStar onStar halfStar off
|
iOS
| Dr. Jolt
Get
Dr. Jolt
|
iOS
| Dr. Jolt

Messing about with electricity isn't a wise move, but in the case of Dr. Jolt we'll gladly make an exception.

The object of Dr. Jolt is to activate a series of light bulbs. To do this, all you need do is hold down your finger on the screen. Lightning will issue forth and illuminate the bulb providing it is close enough.

Relays allow you to chain the lightning so that it travels even farther, and some of these can be picked up and positioned exactly where you want them.

Light up the world

The end result is that Dr. Jolt becomes an exercise in placement - you have to ensure everything is in the correct location so that when you touch your finger on the screen the resultant charge of lightning is effectively carried around the stage, triggering all of the bulbs and as many bonus 'stars' as possible. The more of these stars you hit, the more coins you receive.

Coins serve as the game's currency and can be used to purchase upgrades and battery packs. You see, during play your energy level is constantly dropping. Each and every time you create a surge of electricity, it consumes energy.

Once this drops to zero, you're prevented from playing any further. Your options are to either walk away from the game and wait for your energy to recharge, or purchase a battery pack from the in-game store using your haul of coinage.

Danger, danger, high voltage

It's hard to totally warm to any game that essentially forces you to stop playing unless you cough up cash, but with Dr. Jolt this system feels less irksome than elsewhere.

The pick-up-and-play nature of the puzzles means that you'll often find you want to tackle the game in short bursts, which means plenty of downtime for recharging. Plus, the number of coins dished out is pretty generous, which gives you the chance to buy plenty of battery packs.

Ultimately, the freemium balance is pretty much spot-on here. There are no in-game items that require you to use anything but coins, and because these are obtainable through normal gameplay people who decide not to resort to using the IAP system aren't penalised unfairly.

Add to that the excellent presentation and challenging gameplay and you've got an iOS puzzler which gets a lot more right than it gets wrong.

Dr. Jolt

Despite showcasing a slightly annoying IAP mechanic which often prevents prolonged play, Dr. Jolt offers some seriously entertaining puzzle action
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.