Help Bruce, The Cabbage-Loving Turtle, In A Race Against Time
Bruce ($0.99) by Fervent Interactive is a cute game designed for all ages and all iDevices. Players take control of Bruce, a cabbage-loving turtle, who loses his prize cabbage one day as it rolls off the edge of a cliff. He follows it and when he peers over the edge he discovers that the cliff is filled with hundreds of cabbages. Without thinking twice, Bruce hops off the edge and plummets down, trying to eat as many cabbages on his way to the bottom.
The game starts with an intro, that can be skipped, which explains Bruce’s predicament. Then the game begins. The controls are extremely simple. There are two arrows that control Bruce as he falls. Personally I do not like the controls of the game, I feel using arrows to navigate characters is outdated. A huge part of iDevice appeal is the ability to tilt the device to maneuver around the screen, but Bruce does take advantage of this.
The objective of the game is to eat as many cabbages before time runs out. Different colored cabbages have different point values, and there are other objects that increase time and can be eaten for more points. There are also obstacles in the way, like tree branches, that slow Bruce’s fall.
Scores are totaled when time runs out. They reflect the distance travelled and the number of cabbages eaten. Bruce supports GameCenter and has 14 achievements to challenge players. There are also seven unlockable hats for users to “spruce up Bruce” with.
There are several features in the game that can be improved. For example, the game advertises 3D glorious graphics. However, many of the images seem blocky and unrefined. The game also lags a little between the intro and actually starting.
Overall, Bruce is simple and entertaining game with room for improvement. It’s a relief to see a new game without angry animals, namely birds, in it.
