Cocktail Run HD Review

The life of anyone in the food service industry, waiters and waitresses especially, is not recommended. Crazy hours and lackluster pay highlight just a few reasons why this is not a career that many would choose to partake in voluntarily. But wouldn’t working in a bar be infinitely more awesome if roller blades were allowed as part of work attire? This theory is put to the test in the new iOS game, Cocktail Run HD. Is the release smooth sailing, or a bit too flashy for its own good?

Players start out their game lacing up the skates of a random waiter with delusions of grandeur. This goatee-sporting knucklehead has the bright idea that donning wheels will somehow improve his performance and ability to gather tips and deliver drinks. Unfortunately, as anyone who has ever stepped foot into a crowded bar would know, trying to not spill drinks on customers is hard enough with two feet firmly on the ground. So adding blades into the mix is sure to be met with soggy results.

Each round of the game starts almost like an alcohol-soaked luge. Players use the tilt controls to navigate around the bar, all the while collecting tips and drinks. Whenever colliding with a chair or innocent bystander, a beverage is dropped from the tray. The goal is to reach the end of the stage with at least one drink still perched atop the tray. As soon as they are all dropped, a run is failed. Fortunately, navigating the environments is simple and straightforward, assuming the player can follow arrows clearly marked on the floor.

There are several troubling elements that hold Cocktail Run HD back from impressing curious patrons. For one, both the mediocre environments and unmoving cardboard cutout customers leave something drastically to be desired in the visual presentation department. Another issue is the inability to backtrack and get tips that may have been missed. Hitting invisible walls that are illogical in a wide open space is never fun.

On the surface, Cocktail Run HD looks like an amusing time sink. The problem is that it lacks the depth and polish that would make it more recommendable. When you compound that with a rather hefty $2.99 price tag, potential buyers may be scared off.

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