The Executive Review

Developer: Riverman Media
Price: $2.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.0
App Reviewed on: iPhone 5

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Overall Rating:

Even with the “salaryman fistfights werewolves” premise I was a bit hesitant about The Executive. Not that I didn’t think the idea sounded fantastic, because it totally is, but because at first glance it seemed like one of those games that could go one of two ways; either it would be as great as it looks, or it would be a disappointment. I’m gonna go with the former.

The Executive begins with a mild-mannered office worker taking a coffee break just as one of his coworkers goes ballistic on a vending machine. It’s not a simple case of misplaced rage however, because as soon as the snack dispenser is destroyed the rather aggressive gentleman transforms into a werewolf. So naturally our hero decides to beat the nards out of the newly discovered wolfman.

The brawling portion of The Executive (yes, it’s more than just punches and kicks) uses a simplified system of swipes and taps to attack, block, and pull of special moves. Every now and then a tap or a swipe won’t register properly but it’s not often enough to ruin the fun. And even more options become available as you upgrade your character, which is good because you’ll soon start to encounter some pretty tricky enemies with different attack patterns and abilities of their own.

When you’re not beating up were-things you’re going to be running, which is the other thing The Executive does. When you’re dashing between badguys it plays out more like an auto-runner with swipe-based quick time events; meaning arrows will appear on the screen and you have to swipe properly in order to progress. Failing to swipe fast enough will cost you when it comes to your score at the end of the level, but you’ll still be able to play through to the end regardless.

The third thing you’ll be doing is managing a mining company. Well, not so much managing as spending the money you earn from completing levels to buy upgrades that will earn you even more money. Some bonuses are added at the end of each run, but the main reason you’ll want to start hiring lots of people is because you’ll be able to earn your income in real time even while you aren’t playing. So when you inevitably stop you can come back to figurative mountains of cash.

Honestly though, I’ve been having a really good time with The Executive. I can easily see myself playing it for quite some time to come. If you think the concept is novel enough to justify a look, or if you like having fun, I’d highly recommend it.