Review: Ragdoll Legends
by Staff Writer
December 30, 2009
Overview
Ragdoll Legends is a new combat style game that uses ragdoll physics and unique controls. It is published by Chillingo and developed by moregames, the makers of iDracula and Knights Onrush. Kung Fu style combat by just flicking the ragdoll around the arena.
Features
Twelve playable characters are included with four as unlockable. There are three arenas to play in as well. Four gameplay modes are included which come down to head to head or armor combat either in a tournament or solo fight. To control your ragdoll, you grab it by the middle, and flick it at your opponent. You can also spin it around, and you deal damage when fists or feet hit the opponent. The ragdolls move throughout the play area, and are completely floppy.
The Good
The game has the production values you would expect from MoreGames as they're just as good as Knights Onrush and iDracula. The ragdoll physics engine is top notch as the characters spin around. The backgrounds are ornately designed, as are the scores that pop up either red or green depending on if you give or take damage. The animations are hilarious, and well done. Each landed attack squirts blood from the characters until the last blow that is an explosion of fire, and the ragdoll bursts into pieces. Each of the twelve characters are well made, and they each have their own personality and characteristics. Each character also has their own sound effects for the attacks, as well as taking damage. The zen kung fu type soundtrack is also included that is interrupted with the bangs and booms of each connected attack.
It's a unique take on the mortal combat type game, so you're not stuck with button mashing. Flick your ragdoll all over the screen, and into your opponents to attack. The armor game mode is much better as using weapons makes it much easier to get attacks on your opponents.
The Bad
The controls are easily the worst aspect of the game, and make it nearly unplayable. You never feel in control of the ragdoll, and it takes too much flicking to move around. You never seem to be in the right position, and you end up just flicking madly at the screen with no rhyme or reason how the ragdoll flips around. The controls interfere with the gameplay taking away any fun. You can't control the ragdoll, and never seem to get the ragdoll to hit the opponent with its feet or fists. If that wasn't problem enough your opponents are extremely difficult, and always hit you properly.
It just doesn't work well with the floppiness of the characters moving all around the screen with no laws of gravity. There are no quick moves, and you never no what you're doing whether it will work or not.
Another problem is that after a few minutes you've done everything in the game, and there's no reason to play any more. Local high scores are the only thing included, and there is nothing special for reaching certain levels in tournaments.
