Hammer Quest Review

It might look quite stylish, and it might sound like a game with plenty about it to love, but in reality Hammer Quest is a game we've all seen numerous times before.

It's an Endless Runner in the style of Temple Run. Players run through various landscapes while swiping to their heart's content until they inevitably get knocked out and have to start over. Swipe controls dictate this action with the usual swipes up, down, left, or right to affect what happens. There's an extra action in the form of swiping across the screen in order to knock out obstacles, something that often requires some precise timing.

Hammer Quest does at least offer some variety in the form of its landscapes. Working on a chapter type basis, the game changes up its appearance to suggest that the hero is exploring further afield. It's a nice touch but not something that is sufficient enough to truly enthrall. There's no way to jump ahead and no checkpoint system, so players are stuck playing the same stages as before no matter how many times they've already done so.

At the end of each chapter is a chest that contains items or coins. The coins can be used to buy upgrades such as a better weapon or power-up, offering slower time, or health. It's a fairly rudimentary upgrade system, offering reason to keep playing but not really enough reason to keep enjoying Hammer Quest.

Hammer Quest keeps things safe, rarely trying to offer something different. It's briefly entertaining but that's really not enough in a genre already packed with superior offerings. Pretty it may be, but lacking in substance is a crucial issue.