Mobile applications are among the best things to ever happen to mobile phones, and to mobile phone users. Whereas once upon a time the most entertainment one could get from a mobile phone – outside its actual call making and taking functions – was swapping multicolored housing plates, now mobile users have a multitude of things they can actually do with the actual phone. Software has grown ever smarter over the years, allowing mini-programs to be loaded into the smartphones to fulfill a variety of purposes, from organizing your week to checking the stock market to enjoying a quick race on an alien world.
Glyder 2 is one of the latter types of apps, a video game costing $2.99 for the iPhone. It isn’t quite racing-based, but it does put you in a fantasy world that is so out there it’s practically alien. Placing players in the capable but nervous role of the dimensionally-displaced heroine Eryn, the game plays like Glu Mobile’s answer to Nintendo’s excellent Pilotwings, as a flight simulator that makes you the actual flyer, instead of merely a pilot, gliding through visually-captivating levels. Glyder 2 clocks in at four times the file size of its predecessor, Glyder, and is chock full of new elements that are certain to delight fans of the first game.
In Glyder 2, there are six new levels to be explored from the air – with a seventh mini-world level featuring a very challenging and exciting high-speed flight through an obstacle course – and a great variety of character customization options, including new wings and outfits that can be picked up as the game progresses. A wealth of mini-games and puzzles [18 of them new] intensifies the challenge level and makes the game more interesting, and 24 goals and 40 achievements wait for the player to unlock them over the course of the game. The crystal-collecting mechanic from the first game continues, with over 450 crystals to track down and collect in the sequel.
The framerate and animation remain to-notch, making the larger and more detail-filled worlds of Glyder 2 even more visually appealing than those of the first game. Eryn flies through these brilliant-looking levels on a da Vinci-style set of wings, collecting floating crystals to open the portal doors that will let Eryn come home. The first game’s elements return in force as well, with thermal updraft currents and speed-boost power-ups abounding as Eryn glides from one level to another [with no noticeable load time between areas, a nice touch], controlled by the recalibrate-able accelerometer. Mini-games and side missions keep the gameplay varied and interesting, allowing players to take a break from the main mission.
The gameplay and graphics continue to be strong in this sprawling sequel, but the in-game music is problematic at times, particularly when it gets repetitive. Thankfully, the game allows you to stream selections from your iTunes library to play in the background as you fly, allowing you to cruise to Glee’s Defying Gravity or Wolfgang’s Weightless as you collect your game crystals. This is a welcome addition that adds even more play and replay value to the already-solid $2.99 app.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
