Review: Vikings Row! - This Is How I Row
December 5, 2010
Overview
Vikings Row! is a relatively new (low) seas adventure available in the App Store. You are to navigate a ship full of Nordic sailors through various sections of treacherous river, overcoming time and deadly hazards while collecting a minimum amount of coins.
Features
You control the movement of the ship using your thumbs (or fore-fingers, if you prefer), swiping as if they are the actual rudders of the vessel. Both fingers swiping backwards moves you forward. Swiping one forward and one backward will turn you.
There are three criteria that will make you lose the level: not completing the course in time, having your entire crew of sailors die by hitting sharp obstacles or not gathering enough coins. Various power ups assist you in overcoming these such as a time bonus that will add seconds to your remaining time or the Berserk power up that will make you invincible for a short period of time while automatically collecting any coins in the general vicinity.
The Good
The Viking theme is charming. The music, graphics and cut-scenes all combine to tell a swashbuckling (oh, wait… close enough) tale of adventure.
The levels are challenging and there are enough of them to justify the cost.
Integration into Facebook enables you to post achievements right from the application.
The Bad
While refreshing to some extent, the control system is mostly frustrating. It would have been nice to at least have the option for accelerometer control. The thumb swiping method isn’t extremely sensitive, and after smudging the screen for a while, it only got more difficult with the additional oil on the screen.
There also isn’t much variety. Levels change somewhat, but the game is nothing more than thumb swiping. You are never able to level up your ship with additional speed or weapons and the only improvements you can make to your ship at all is different sails.
The Facebook integration is so much so that it became annoying after a while. After every couple of levels, it will ask you if you want to post your achievement. It would have been nice to turn that option off.
It is difficult to learn how to play the game. The controls aren’t complicated or difficult, but there is no tutorial to inform you what the goals are or what the power ups do. The only way you learn is through experience and hints that show while levels are loading.
There is also little incentive to replay the levels other than getting a Gold or Silver finish.
