Loop Raccord Review

There's nothing else quite like Loop Raccord which is both a good and bad thing, depending on one's perspective. Utterly unique, the video editing game is experimental gaming at its quirkiest. It's also the kind of game that could only ever really work on something as tactile as an iPad.

The idea is that players are presented with a series of short video clips and it's down to them to ensure that the motion of one flows right into the other, thereby creating a raccord. Such motion looks delightfully fluid once correctly figured out but it does take a while to really click in the player's head. This isn't helped by the somewhat limited tutorial. It gives players an idea of what needs to be done but it does take a few sessions to truly master the concepts behind Loop Raccord. Think of it as a very visual puzzle game, more than anything, with its challenging obstacles.

Some videos are quite clearly designed to line up, while others take much more thought to ensure they become seamless. With videos taken from archive.org, everything from runners to the pulling of a lever or someone taking a shower can be featured here. It can seem baffling at first. There's an advanced tutorial link but it doesn't actually work, plus without any multi tasking support, players are condemned to start over once they hit that failed link. With such a tactile nature, it's best to practice at Loop Raccord and learn from one's mistakes.

The controls are certainly simple to master with a swipe to the left or right, on a clip, changing which frame is viewed. The moment a finger is lifted away from it, the clip plays and points are hopefully gained for a correct manoeuvre.

Three different modes are available, with a single player mode that scores players on their accuracy, as well as a two player mode and an Endless/Infinite Loop mode which requires players to be all the more accurate and provides quite the challenge.

Thanks to such an experimental nature, Loop Raccord takes more work to learn to love, but its arty nature makes it quite endearing for those who persevere. It's great to see such original thinking emerge on the iPad.