Electric Tentacle Review

Endless Runners are nothing new on the App Store. Fortunately, Electric Tentacle provides something a little new to ensure it's worth taking an extra glance at. This originality mostly stems from its control system which is nothing like the more typical tilt based systems we've seen elsewhere. It's quite fun too, once you get to grips with it.

At first, controls will seem a little bouncy. Players are getting to grips with bolts of electricity which is bound to take more effort than the usual tilt to the left or right to navigate the screen. These bolts feel more like thrusts and require some careful manipulation to succeed. It sounds slightly cruel given that players are using the electricity to manipulate a selection of nano-sized animals, but I'm going to assume the creatures are fine with it as they don't seem too upset. These bolts are manipulated through taps of the screen with a mixture of left and right based taps required to keep things steady.

Speed is also of the essence given that the tiny animals are being pursued by evil enemies, and did I mention the obstacles in the way? At first, Electric Tentacle requires more practice than other Endless Runners. By doing so, it's also more satisfying to do well at. The same mechanics are there, such as challenges to survive a certain length of time or to pick up plenty of stars, but that extra level of difficulty makes for a more rewarding experience.

Of course, power ups help along the way, but the key to success is mastering the controls. With a form of thrust mechanic, there's no better way of learning than simply keep trying. Electric Tentacle might not have that ridiculously addictive quality that something like Tiny Wings might still retain, it needs a few more persistent challenges to accomplish that, but what is there adds something original to the genre. Something that we could all do with occasionally.