Ultra Sharp review
:: CREATIVE CUTTINGPrice: Free
Version: 1.1
App Reviewed on: iPhone SE
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Ultra Sharp is a game about cutting. You cut away from objects by swiping on the screen to complete a variety of objectives. There’s not much to it, but it’s oddly satisfying at the same time. Just make sure to buy it if you like it, because as cool as Ultra Sharp can be, the way it serves up ads is completely infuriating.
Cut to the chase
Every level in Ultra Sharp presents some pretty unexciting geometric shapes set against a white background with a star or multiple stars hanging out somewhere. Your goal is to manipulate the scene in any way possible to pick up these stars in order to move to the next level.
The catch in this is that the only way you can interact with anything in Ultra Sharp is by making linear cuts across objects. You can cut things any which way, as long as your incision cuts an object from end to end, and using only this mechanic, you can achieve some pretty unexpected things.
Any way you slice it
At the beginning of Ultra Sharp, things start pretty simple. Most of the game's early levels involve cutting away at an object to make a piece of it fall to hit a star below. Things don’t stay simple for very long though, and that’s what makes Ultra Sharp more than just a casual distraction.
Later levels involve anti-gravity pads, stars that can only be picked up by objects of a specific color, objects with stars embedded in them, and even some fun challenges where you need to clear the screen of objects in as few cuts as possible. These ways of reapplying Ultra Sharp’s single mechanic make for a game that keeps you on your toes, waiting to see what future levels have in store.
Trim the fat
Ultra Sharp has a propulsive quality in its level variety, but this gets stymied if you play the game’s free version. For what it’s worth, there aren’t paywalls or virtual currencies that you have to worry about, but you do have to endure Ultra Sharp's endless stream of advertisements.
There’s rarely a moment in Ultra Sharp when you aren’t being subjected to an ad. There are banner ads at the bottom of the screen at all times, ads that pop up between levels, and ads pop up if you decide you need to retry a level. For a game that is so visually simple and creatively enticing, the idea of having it bombarded with ads almost completely ruins it. Luckily, there is the option to pay to remove ads, and it only costs $1.99.
The bottom line
There’s quite a bit of fun to be had with Ultra Sharp, despite its pretty basic premise. If you truly want to enjoy it though, you should definitely pay to stop it from being plastered with ads. Since it’s free, you can download it for yourself and see if it’s for you, and if it is, you know what to do.