Game Reviews

Squareface - A square peg in an almost square hole

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iOS
| Squareface
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Squareface - A square peg in an almost square hole
|
iOS
| Squareface

If we graded games solely on ambition here at Pocket Gamer, then Squareface would do very, very well. It's a game full of scope, that tries to do things differently from the usual rash of match-stuff puzzlers and CoC clones we see on the App Store.

It's a third-person action adventure that sees you controlling the titular cube-headed hero. You stomp around, smashing other paper-craft creatures in the face with a variety of weapons, or shooting them.

There's an interesting story too, and it's pretty well told. But there are a few niggles that keep it from achieving greatness.

Tell me about these niggles

Well, for starters the controls aren't that great. They're not the worst I've used on a touchscreen, but they lack a little sharpness. They don't make the game unplayable, but it's clunky and unpleasant when it should be slick and enjoyable.

The level design is a little lacking as well. You sometimes find yourself wandering around not entirely sure what you're supposed to be doing, tapping all of the shiny things that you see in the hope they give you a clue.

Again, it's not a deal-breaker, and when everything is working well Squareface is a real joy. The combat isn't frenetic, so the touchscreen controls aren't too much of a blight here. You need to attack then move away to preserve your health.

The whole thing looks great as well. It's got a unique style to it that sets it apart, and while there are a few rough edges here and there, Squareface is an impressive achievement all the same.

So is it worth a go?

It is, yeah. Like I say, the problems that it has are annoying, but they're by no-means bad enough to make you want to smash your iPad into pieces and then swear at the shards that are left.

Squareface certainly has big ideas, and when it gets them right it shows just what a talented team put it together.

It's not a must-play, but if you're looking for an interesting third-person adventure that, when it finds its feet, is an awful lot of fun, then you could do worse than check this out.

Squareface - A square peg in an almost square hole

A solid and entertaining adventure - look past the problems and you'll have a right good time
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.