Not good enough

When looking at games on the app store, there are a few things that will typically determine the rating I give it. Presentation, immediate gameplay hook, clear directions, and lasting appeal.

Eggscape gets some of these things right, but falls short in others. The presentation is wonderful, it easily holds its own with app store hits like "Wheres my water?" and "Cut the Rope." At various points in each level the camera zooms in tighter, and the game looks great. A tighter camera during the actual gameplay would be beneficial though.

This games shortcomings, unfortunately, are with its gameplay. The instructions in the beginning are vague at best, and look like something that was thrown together in paint at the eleventh hour. I couldnt tell what they were trying to show me, and the poor set up hurts the entire game.

The spring meter is poorly conceived and leads to a ton of issues with the gameplay. At times it feels unresponsive, and at others the egg goes springing off before the player is ready to launch. The thing I find most confusing is that there is no movement of the spring when setting your meter. This would be a lot like playing Angry Birds, but one where the bird never moves in the slingshot. The player needs that feedback. In my opinion the meter should be moved, and the player should be adjusting the egg directly. The disconnect makes no sense.

A game needs to have a quick hook and lasting appeal to be successful. This has neither. The first few levels feel like you are placing the egg on a track and watching it collect stars. Later levels are a combination of guess and check spring mechanic, and simple swipes to avoid barriers. There is some potential here, and physics based games are something I enjoy, but there just isnt much to do here. Once you get the spring meter to send the egg on your desired path, the game devolves into into timed flicking motions which is never challenging or very fun.

Some people may enjoy this for the cute graphics, but for those looking for something substantial, I would skip this in favor for any of the other app store offerings with better gameplay.

Jopie1987 about EggScape