Voxel Rush [Android]

As I get older I seem to get more and more games, yet proportionately less time to play them. The one family of gaming currently receiving my most attention these days seems to be mobile. I would love to say my Nintendo 3DS or even my Sega Nomad are out on daily adventures to parks and coffee shops, but the sad reality is that firstly being an adult, and secondly being a parent leave you no time for these excursions. So these days the bulk of the gaming happens on my trusty Android handset. [on the toilet]



Voxel Rush 3D is the latest install on my handset, created by Rafal Wilinkski. The game is yet another 'distance' game, you rush as fast as you can, as far as you can, until you die. We all probably have a dozen of these 'infinite runners' on our phones and tablets, so what makes this one that bit different?

To answer this question, I must first ask a question... did you own a ZX Spectrum and Death Chase 3D?

If the answer is yes, you will be aware of the adrenalin rush that propelling ever faster forwards towards an endless horizon of obstacles  is. You will have experienced the buzz of near misses and beating prior scores. If you know what I am talking about you should definitely give this a try.

If the answer is no... I hope you enjoyed all those girlfriends... er, carrying on....

Gameplay takes place in an endless cityscape of rectangular skyscrapers, you tilt side to side to steer and tilt forwards or back to speed up or slow down. Simple stuff right?. Like any great game, the risk vs reward factor has to be balanced - if you want the high scores here your gonna have to work for it. You score combos by skimming past obstacles as closely as possible, and you score even more if you do it like a bat out of hell. However this is not all, there are power ups to collect, some give you points, others slow time or make you invincible. Grabbing them is very challenging indeed as it my well send you head first into a wall.

Graphically the game is very stylish, the horizon gently fades into view along with the rectangles of death. There are very few colors here but when they are used it certainly makes an impression. Minimalist is the best term I suppose.

Whilst on the subject of minimalist, I will draw your attention to the music. Its a simple trance track that whilst being understated does a fantastic job of keeping the tension right in your face. Ever see the scene in 'Hackers' where they play Wipeout on the big screen, beating each others high scores? ... this game made me feel like that... obscure I know but take it or leave it.

Overall the game is simple enough to spend 5 minutes playing and also challenging enough to keep you playing long after your battery gives out... Just be careful where you play, all the tilting and swearing may be disturbing to your fellow commuters.

Thumbs up!

Download for free here.