Paper.io 2 review

Developer: Voodoo Games

Price: Free
Version: 1.1.7
App Reviewed on: Android

Graphics/Sound Rating:
User Interface Rating:
Gameplay Rating:
Replay Value Rating:

Overall Rating:

Voodoo games recently released Paper.io 2, a sequel to the original Paper.io, though there's very little to distinguish it from the original. There's some changes to the graphics - the area you claim has a more organic shape, now, rather than strictly being squares - but for the most part, this is a re-release of the same game. It's also a fairly disappointing sequel, as the game itself is plagued with lag.

The premise here is the same as the original - move around the screen to claim as much territory as you can, while avoiding running into your opponents. It's a simple enough formula that's easy to pick up right away, and generally when the round starts it runs fairly smoothly. But as the game progresses and more territory is claimed, the lag in the game continues to get worse, until you'll find it a challenge to move around the screen at all.

There also seems to be a good bit of luck in play here, particularly when it comes to where you land when you first enter the game. On multiple rounds I came into the round incredibly close to the other opponents, everyone crowded in the center and immediately fighting for the same area - and needless to say, those rounds ended pretty quickly. Having players come in further away from each other would make far more sense, but where you end up seems to be random.

Another thing that's going to slow down your territory-munching progress is the ads in the game. There's one in-app purchase in the game in order to remove them, and without it, you're going to be seeing ads after almost every round, as well as on the play screen. I don't fault a free version of the game for including ads, or even for including an option to remove them. But the game makes it almost impossible to make any forward progress without removing them, unless you're willing to patiently play one round at a time.

Unfortunately there's little to love here, which is a pity, because the game formula itself is one that has plenty of promise. But with so much lag and such intrusive ads, you'd have to be both incredibly patient and incredibly lucky in order to make any real progress in the game and have decent hopes of winning a few rounds. Even if you're a fan of the territory-grabbing mechanic, give this one a miss.