League of Evil 3 Review

I was quite fond of the original League of Evil when Ravenous Games released it onto an unsuspecting App Store. The second, however, just didn't seem as "magical" to me. Of course I was still willing to give League of Evil 3 a fair shot, and even expected it to recapture whatever it was that made the first game so special. However, while it does manage to feel new and familiar at the same time it also feels a bit unbalanced.

Third verse, same as the first. League of Evil 3, just like every other game in the series, involves jumping all over the place while recovering briefcases and punching scientists. But hey, why mess with something we already know works incredibly well? Rather than an attempt at reinventing the wheel, we have a further refinement of some already quite refined gameplay. Plus more levels to jump around in and lots of bonus costumes to unlock. Aside from "more," there's also the addition of video replays that can be saved in order to secure bragging rights as well as an option for ghosts that can show players exactly where they went wrong on a given level.

There's nothing wrong with getting more of a good thing, and that's exactly what League of Evil 3 offers. The levels are just as insidious as ever and the agent looks just as impressive bouncing around them, although I do miss the simpler retro style sometimes. Supposedly the controls are also even more responsive than they were previously, but in all honesty I can't tell the difference. Not that that's a bad thing; they're incredibly solid. I just haven't noticed any real difference.

Unfortunately, League of Evil 3 suffers from a distinct lack of difficulty balancing. I get that the series is all about brutal platforming and punishing hazards, but it doesn't ramp up so much as spike. Significantly. Within the first few levels simply getting to the end took quite a bit of effort and trial-and-error. I absolutely would have expected this level of challenge in later levels, and would have been disappointed if it wasn't there, but it goes from zero to SPLAT almost immediately. Even as a fan of the first game it's been fairly off-putting.

Long time fans of the series should have no problem jumping in to League of Evil 3. However, newcomers and players who haven't done any wall jumping for a while should be aware that it's a difficult game. And I mean really difficult. With no gradual curve to get them used the challenges they'll be facing. It's still a great tough as nails platformer, it's just a little too tough as nails too quickly for my taste.