Review: Dead Runner - Escape The Dark Forest

Overview

You wake up in the woods at night, and you just have to run non-stop to escape. This sets the stage for Dead Runner which is a casual endless first person running experience where you tilt to guide yourself through the forest. The game has a similar style to Cube Runner, but with a haunted theme.

Features

There are two game modes letting you go as far as you can in distance mode, or playing with a point system. In points mode there are colored orbs to collect which act as a multiplier for the distance traveled. OpenFeint is included for online high scores for both mode and tons of achievements.

The Good

If you’ve ever played Cube Runner or a similar style flash game then you know it’s so easy to simply tilt to move through objects that continually pop in front of you. It’s more enjoyable on the iPhone/iPod Touch with everything right in your face. It’s quite an immersive experience so much so that you cringe when you run into a tree. It’s perfect for quick pick up and play as all you do is tilt. The game moves at very high speed, especially in the points mode when you pick up particular colored orbs. You need to have quick reactions to tilt through the tight stretches of closely packed trees. The game has a nice dark theme in the foreground with light in the background that you're racing towards. Everything flows smoothly, though it is only the same texture repeated. There is a very spooky soundtrack as you're running along, but you wish there was some sound effects of something chasing you that increases depending on distance.

The Bad

The game is repetitive and simplistic so that once you’ve done a run through you know every aspect of the game. That won’t keep you from going again with so many achievements, and two different modes. It’s so easy to get lost in the dark forest, and just tilting your way through it over again. It would be great to have some sense that something is chasing you. It would be nice to get your heart pumping a little to make it more of an all around experience in comparison to a free game like Cube Runner.

The Verdict

Dead Runner is an enjoyable pick up and play game that is for everyone. There is a nice haunted theme that really immerses you in the running experience with the smooth visuals, high speeds, and precise controls. The game doesn’t have the most replayability, but you will still find yourself playing it multiple times. Dead Runner is worth considering for $0.99, and I suggest you try out the free Cube Runner for a taste of the style. If you want a little bit more after playing it, Dead Runner is a good pick up.

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