Android Game Review: Spotlight – Temple Run

Temple Run Imangi Studios

Free (in-app purchase supported)

It’s finally here on Android.  Temple Run, the game that took iOS by storm, is now available in Google Play.  Let me tell you that it looks and feels as good as the original.  I use italics here for purposes of foreshadowing.

Everything you loved about the game on your iThing is here.  Running, tilting, jumping, and sliding your way through a never-ending maze of temple walls, bridges, and rock formations, you will attempt to steal the idol from the wacky monkey monster things and ultimately fail time and time again.  Ducking trees, traps, fire, leaping gaps and cracks, grabbing power-ups… it’s glorious to finally be able to do this on Android, particularly on the gorgeous Galaxy Nexus screen.

All your favorite ways to die in style are here!

Imangi Studios is in for a rude shock from the brutal reality of Android fragmentation, unfortunately.  Users are reporting bugs and glitches left and right.  Myself, on the Galaxy Nexus, I’ve had it randomly close itself several times.  Overall, I’m not concerned.  Imangi tried to hold the release date back over and over, until they just had no choice but to cave to the demand.  I have every confidence that they’ll prepare updates to fix these little glitches and make it the same stable experience iThing users have been enjoying for months.

THE TL;DR:

• One of the titans of mobile games.  Get it now.
• Glitchy as all get-out on multiple devices.  Expect updates.*
  *Reports from rooted users have said that changing your CPU governor to ‘conservative’ can alleviate some of the lag/glitches experienced.  Cannot personally vouch for this, but it’s worth a shot!
• Hoping enormously that the Android experience doesn’t turn Imangi Studios off from future Android releases.
• If Angry Birds is the most famous mobile game to date, this is the second-most.  Even if you don’t enjoy it, you need to know about it if you’re into the whole gaming-on-your-phone thing.