Rip Off Review

Take the avian attitude of Angry Birds, squash it together with the slice and dice gameplay of Fruit Ninja, then slather the whole thing in art stylings reminiscent of the PSP game Patapon and you might have something like Rip Off. Contrary to what its title might suggest, Rip Off doesn't rip anything off from these games. It actually takes some inspiration from each and forms something new and quite addictive. As schizophrenic as the whole thing may sound, the end product is focused and well executed.

The game revolves around the simple concept of a small bird protecting his unhatched siblings from hordes of enemies who are trying to steal the eggs away. This small bird has the amazing ability to slash through his enemies by flying right through them, cleaving them in two. Touching the screen will cause the bird to slash through the sky from his current position to that new position. Any enemies caught in his path will be will be chopped in half and destroyed. The enemies come in varying waves; sometimes one at a time, sometimes dozens at a time. There are also bombs that must be avoided. The rate and order in which the enemies arrive is random so every game is different than the last. The goal is to protect the three eggs for as long as possible. Enemies will continually try to take the eggs off screen and when the last egg is removed, or a bomb is hit, the game is over.

There are unlockable backgrounds, egg designs, slash colors, and costumes for the bird. These are unlocked by completing objectives such as killing a certain amount of enemies, scoring a certain number of points in one game, or building up a combo. These little cosmetic bonuses give some added incentive to play again and again.

The game's interface isn't particularly user friendly. The menu buttons are a bit small and it takes good aim to hit them. The type on the screen that lists the game's objectives is so small it is almost illegible. These are minor issues though, and the game as a whole doesn't suffer much because of them.

Rip Off is a fantastic game. It plays smoothly and slicing through wave after wave of enemies is so satisfying. The art style is beautiful, and the various enemy types keep the game from getting stale. This one is sure to keep players tapping.