It's time to hit the beach in Go Surf - The Endless Wave
Go Surf - The Endless Wave ($2.99) by Diverso Games is a infinite surfer that is not only beautiful to look at, but relaxing as well. If you loved games like Alto’s Adventure but prefer a tropical ocean paradise rather than snowy mountains, then Go Surf is just what you need in your game collection.
Even though I live in sunny Southern California, I don’t think I go to the beach as much as I should. And even then, I am definitely not a surfer, so I don’t know the first thing about riding the waves out here. Still, it’s certainly fun to watch others surfing, and kind of envy their skills, of course. Fortunately, you don’t need any real life surfing ability to be able to enjoy Go Surf, and I was excited for this game’s release due to the nice visuals. Plus, when I heard a comparison that it is like Alto’s Adventure except at the beach, I was intrigued since I am a huge fan of Alto’s Adventure. I can gladly say that Go Surf does not disappoint.
In terms of visuals, Go Surf is rather gorgeous. Like Alto’s, Go Surf has it’s own unique minimalistic and flat art style that is easy on the eyes. The colors used in the game range from soft pastels to bold and vibrant hues, and there is even a dynamic day and night cycle that you can witness changing in the background on the title screen (it also affects what you see when you surf). And to complete the minimal look, the game utilizes a super lightweight sans serif typeface that fits in well with the thin icons after you wipeout in a run. The game’s soundtrack is rather chill, completing the whole tropical beach paradise feel. It’s fun to listen to, and the sound effects will make you feel as if you’re at the beach itself.
Since Go Surf is an infinite surfer, there is only one game mode, but there are different objectives to complete that keep the game fresh and interesting, and let you level up. However, the main goal is to see just how far you can ride this one endless wave, and your score is based on distance. But since this is a public beach and all, you’re going to have to watch out for obstacles in the water, such as other beachgoers who are lazily lounging around in your path, lifebuoys scattered about, and even hidden dangers lurking beneath the water (shark bait, anyone?) as you get further out. The trick to surviving the wave is to time your movements to avoid obstacles that eventually lead to a wipeout. It sounds easy, but it is far from it.
The controls in the game are simple and intuitive. Just press the screen when you want to go up the wave, and release your finger to go down. If you go up, you’ll even be able to get some air time, but be careful with that since it does slow you down a bit after you get back in the water. The game also has power-ups that you can collect as you go, and there are sequence orbs that you can gather. Once you get four of the same sequence, your surfer dude is able to perform a special move, such as gliding through the inside of the wave, backflips, and more. If you end up collecting a different sequence orb than the ones you’ve already gathered, the gauge resets, so be careful of what you pick up. When you are performing a sequence ability, you’ll see how much time is remaining with a countdown bar at the bottom of the screen.
There are also gold medallions that are scattered about in the water, and you want to collect these since you can spend them for upgraded power-ups and sequences in the Surf Shop. At the moment, there are only three power-ups in the game: Barrel, Aerial, and Magnet, all of which can be upgraded to level five by spending coins. But it appears that the developer will be adding four more power-ups in the future, since a few of them have “SOON” attached to them rather than letting you buy them.
Despite the limited amount of power-ups, I’m finding Go Surf to be rather enjoyable, and a relaxing way to pass the time. I love the stunning minimalisic art style and day and night cycle, as it looks sharp and crisp on Retina screens and captures the essence of going to the beach nicely. The tropical music is fun to hear, and the simple controls are friendly enough for anyone to pick up, though it is hard to master. While the game starts out easy enough, things do get rather challenging when you see more beachgoers just floating in your path, and you must avoid them at all costs. The only improvements I think would help the game is to let you see all three objectives at once so you can try and do more in a run, because at the moment you just see them one-by-one. The shop should also be accessible from anywhere, not just the title screen.
Overall, I recommend checking out Go Surf if you are into infinite runners and prefer a beach setting over snow and mountains. Or if you just want a game that captures the joy of surfing when you’re not hitting the waves at the moment. Go Surf – The Endless Wave is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99. There are no in-app purchases.