Moon Chaser Requires the Art of Controlling Gravity [Game Review]
Moon Chaser is described as a running game, and while the running isn’t as flashy as, say, parkour, there’s still some skill needed to trek the mountain sides in a race against time. You have a moon, a ninja suit, and the ability to control gravity. Can you use everything at your disposal to make it to your goal before the moon disappears?
Premise
You’re a ninja with a unique power – the ability to control your own gravity. He has to make it to his destination before the moon disappears. For what, I can’t say, but that moon is his biggest enemy. Too bad a ninja can’t fight a moon. (Or can he?)
Gameplay
You’re on mountains throughout the entire game, looking to get from one to another in order to make it to your goal. The only problem is you have to get there before the moon disappears (what is he, a werewolf?) and the mountain’s surface is too uneven for you to move fast. You need to use the mountain’s slopes to your advantage in order to make it across faster.
This is where gravity comes into play. At a certain point, you’ll get some hang time, but it’s not about how you go up – it’s about how you come down. While in the air, you have to control your gravity to come down on a slope at the right angle. The better you hit the slope, the faster and further you’ll go when you come back up. A few bad landings and you could see your hopes of beating the moon go up in smoke.
It’s a simple game with no real back story, but it takes a while to master. It’s a DroidHen game, and they’re known to give you a straight-forward experience. While the gameplay doesn’t really evolve much (you get a pair of running shoes here and there), the game will keep your interest as you try and master the mechanics and get a higher score each time.
Presentation
It’s a 2D game, but the moon in the background is beautiful and shines bright as clouds and birds fly in front of it. Mountains look decent enough, but there’s nothing here to make me go “omg that’s awesome”. The ninja’s animations are basic, as you’d expect. His headband will wave in the wind as you move along, but doesn’t look as smooth as you might hope. For the type of game it is, though, you don’t need flashy graphics to please the player.
As for sound, it’s quite decent. The music is ninja-esque, if that means anything, and sound effects come up where you’d expect them to. Unfortunately, there’s very little variety when it comes to music.
Replay Value
Like I said before, Moon Chaser is a Droid Hen game, and if you know anything about Droid Hen games, you’ll know that looking for an overabundance of original content is foolish. The replay value lies in the gameplay as they always aim to keep your attention by challenging you to beat your own score. They also have achievements and leaderboards, so you’re not playing for absolutely nothing. I’d love Open Feint support here, but they seem to be allergic to that.
The Verdict
It’s fun, can get addicting, and takes a long time to master. Moon Chaser will keep you busy if you like chasing your best effort. The experience doesn’t vary much from stage to stage, but you forget about that when you’re hell-bent on getting further than you did the last time you played. It’s a free title, too, so it’s worth checking out to see if you like it for yourself. There’s not much substance when it comes to the bells and whistles of other games, but the gameplay alone is king in making this experience worth your time. Find it for free in the Android market.