Fast Review: Gravity Hook HD - Universal App - Vertical Canabalt Plus Hook Champ
Gravity Hook HD ($2.99) by Semi Secret Software is a brand new game from the makers of Canabalt giving you another casual endless game, but this time you go vertical. You guide a little robot with a gravity hook from node to node as high as you can. The game is based on the classic flash version, and the actual universal app is fully playable as an online flash game here.
Breakdown Gravity Hook has a basic connection to Canabalt, but the biggest difference is the difficulty curve. Canabalt is easy to understand and play while Gravity Hook takes awhile to get used to. As you’re pulling yourself upward the nodes don’t stay fixed so you can only hook so far up or you won’t be pulled up properly.
This becomes more apparent the further you progress, and you really need to understand the physics of the game the way your weight pulls on the nodes. Until you understand the background processes of the game it will be frustrating to say the least. Once you get the hang of it you can finally start having some fun.
With that said the game is rather repetitive since the different types of nodes are given to you in similar segments, and the only randomization is in the specific placement. From 0-100m, 100-200m, 200-300m, etc. it’s the same style of facing a grouping of mundane green nodes, then the grey nodes that blow up if you pull yourself up to them. The game is lacking in variation, and doesn’t have nearly the same type of intrinsic replayability as Canabalt, though online high scores are included.
As you’re pulling yourself upward you can’t go that quickly because you can’t jump up that far ahead of yourself. If you get in a sticky situation there is no way for a quick fix in this game, so you’ll soon be falling to your demise. If you get out of control swinging horizontally death will soon follow as well.
The game is challenging to say the least as it seems the nodes react slightly differently from game to game. You will reach points with relatively large gaps which are difficult to traverse because of the physics of the game. As you’re playing you will wish that you could tap and hold to control the speed with which you’re pulled up rather than it being completely out of your hands.
The graphic bit style is similar to Canabalt though a little more current. The app is universal, but it’s easier and more enjoyable on bigger screen of the iPad. There is a great soundtrack included in the game which changes once you reach certain plateaus.
Speaking of Plateaus when you reach 500 ft. you will unlock the classic mode that is the original flash game. Now you could play this game for free online, but playing on a touch screen is much better than playing with your mouse.
Verdict Gravity Hook is a challenging game that takes awhile to get used to. Once you finally do there really isn’t much incentive to play over and over like others in the causal endless genre. For $2.99 it’s worth considering, but I suggest to try the flash version first and to continue to play that version instead.
