Animal Upon Animal Review

Throwing animals around in order to discover hidden artifacts is fine, it seems. Admittedly in the case of Animal Upon Animal, while quirky, it is quite fun to do. Across 3 different areas and numerous different levels, players must fling animals around in order to capture various historical pieces before getting in a hot air balloon and moving to the next level. Yup, really.

It's simple enough to play Animal Upon Animal, although the controls are a tad sensitive. One simply drags a finger to flick an animal around the screen. Different animals react slightly differently with rhinos, for instance, appearing heavier but also able to charge through walled areas. Completing each level is fairly open-ended with up to three artifacts available to retrieve, but they're rarely essential.

Challenges come not just from flicking the animals around but also from activating switches, dealing with flying zeppelins, bouncing from sofas, and even setting up seesaws to propel an animal elsewhere. Animal Upon Animal does a pretty good job of gradually adding these elements so it's often quite clear what needs doing next. Its main crucial issue is one previously mentioned: the picky control system. At times it's handy that animals are so sensitive to one's touch, but often it can prove irritating. Being able to dial down such sensitivity would have been invaluable at times. On the smaller screen of the iPhone it can also be a little awkward to clearly see what's going on, with the iPad promising a grander experience.

It's a shame that Animal Upon Animal can be finicky as it's the ideal game for young and old to enjoy together. Mostly pretty harmless and with no in-app purchases in sight, it's a safe environment for younger gamers to explore and is quite entertaining to traverse.