FOTONICA Review

FOTONICA isn’t like other Endless Runners. For one thing it’s priced at a premium, which means it’s free of in-app purchases and adverts. For another, it looks nothing like anything you’ve seen before. It’ll test you, for sure, but its focus on timing will keep you coming back for more.

Utilizing an abstract appearance full of geometrical shapes, FOTONICA is certainly distinctive. Previously a PC/Mac game, it’s also a game that feels ideally suited to your iOS device. Controls are simply a matter of holding a finger to the screen to run and releasing it in order to jump through the air. Holding it down again, while midair, causes you to hit the ground faster.

Such simplicity hides the fact that FOTONICA is actually quite tricky. Timing is everything here, with a split second making all the difference when trying to make a particular leap. The time between spotting the gap in a platform and having to leap is small, so you’ve got to be quick.

FOTONICA splits the action into three different modes: an arcade mode, endless mode, and split screen based versus. The latter works surprisingly well, even on the relatively small screen of the iPhone 5. Arcade mode forms a kind of structure to the gameplay, changing things around and demonstrating that just when you thought you’d got the hang of it, things can get tougher. It’s impressive what can be accomplished visually with geometric shapes and an almost "TRON" like style to it.

Whichever mode you pick, FOTONICA tests you but keeps you wanting to return for more. It might be a very simple idea, but its sense of style and well designed controls prove to be quite endearing.