Temple Run Review

Developer: Imangi Studios
Price: $.99
Version Reviewed: 5.7
Device Reviewed On: iPhone

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The game plays similarly to Sega's iconic series, although it's not quite the same thing. In Temple Runner, players control an Indiana Jones-like character, who is running through a temple, being chased by demon guardians. The character is always moving forward, and it's the job of gamers to steer him around the dangerous pathway of the temple.

The game uses the touchscreen for its controls. Players flick left and right at the right moment to make sharp turns, flick up to jump over obstacles and flick down to slide under threats. Meanwhile, they can also tilt their device to move the character left and right along the pathway. When players fail to quickly react to incoming obstacles, such as tree branches and fire traps, they're knocked down and attacked by the demon guardians who are closely and always trailing players.

There is more depth to Temple Runner than purely running forward, though. Players are challenged to collect coins along the way, which they can use to purchase power-ups. There are a wide variety of power-ups to be unlocked, including one that turns the character invisible and another than works like a magnet, pulling coins toward the character as he runs by them. What's more, the entire time, gamers are encouraged to complete objectives while they play, which adds another layer of challenge to the game.

My big qualm with Temple Runner lies in the fact that the majority of the game's scenery looks the same. Yeah, the scenery does change here and there, but most of the time, gamers are running through ruined, temple pathways that look consistently the same. It all starts to blur together after a while.

Still, for gamers that enjoy the quick pace of a game like Sonic along with the theme of Indiana Jones, Temple Runner is a solid download.

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