Life

‘Frozen’s’ Olaf’s Adventures app leaves you cold

26 September 2014

First impressions

There is no doubt that the Disney film “Frozen” is a worldwide phenomenon. Elsa and Olaf et al have entered homes around the globe, and there’s many a parent more familiar with the lyrics of “Let It Go” than any other hit song on the charts from the last 20 years.

I’m a big fan of animated films, but Frozen wasn’t one of my favorites, however, I have to admit a great fondness for the snowman, Olaf, and his desire to see what summer is all about.

The merchandising of costumes, accessories, games and apps has made Disney a mint. I’ve already reviewed the “Frozen Free Fall” app, which very much resembles the Candy Crush game. Now it’s time for the Olaf’s Adventures app. I was drawn to it thanks to my love of the fuzzy white creature in the film, and the fact that it wasn’t really expensive. I figured once I’d given it a go, I could play it with my nephews.

I can honestly say, however, that if I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time and money on this particular app.

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How it works

How does it work? I have no earthly clue. Olaf introduces himself, and about all you’ll glean is that you need to collect 10 snowflakes. A hand shows up and points somewhere, so you can follow where it goes, but it won’t be long before you’re left completely to your own devices. Good luck with that.

You’ll probably send him up the hill, only to see careening back down through the snow. He’ll hit a tree, bringing you to your first snowflake (this is not some big reveal, I promise), which you can pick up and throw into the air.

After that, your guess is as good as anyone’s as to where the rest of those pesky snowflakes might be hiding. You can tap all over the screen, including the magnifying glass in the bottom left-hand corner, but I’m betting that you’ll be as in the dark as I was, when trying to figure out your next move. Tapping on the ice monster in the top left-hand corner sets off a cavalcade of snow boulders heading in Olaf’s direction. It’s probably not a good idea for him to be hit, but that’s hard to gauge.

There’s also a meter of some ilk that appears on the left, measuring something, possibly time, as the snow comes flying down onto Olaf. Tap on the “X” at the bottom of the meter, and it disappears, along with the onslaught. No idea.

You may think at this point that as the app is targeted towards children well under the age of 10, it might just be time for you to tap the information icon, “i,” in the top right-hand corner of the screen. It does indeed offer a “Help” tab, so “hallelujah,” you’ll be thinking. Not so fast. The information is woefully inadequate, and listed in a bullet point fashion, as though the developer simply could not be bothered to put any effort into this part of the app. You’ll get some leads on what to do, but why it is presented in such a boring fashion is beyond me.

Should you find the snowy landscape irresistible, you’ll be happy to know that you can buy access to “Spring,” and Disney is currently working on creating “Summer.” If, like me, you’re already regretting paying for the original app, you’ll probably want to cut your losses before forking out for the other seasons.

When I played it

If you’re not gathering by now that I wasn’t overly impressed with this app, let me make myself abundantly clear: I think this app is a waste of money, and a greedy misstep on Disney’s part.

I found Olaf to be his usual, cute, fun self, but that couldn’t make up for the complete lack of instruction, and game-play, that this app offers (or doesn’t offer, as such).

When I tried it out, I went to see if “Spring” was going to be any kind of improvement. At the time, it was free to unlock it, but I’m sure that won’t be the case for much longer.

Final thoughts

There are some good Frozen products on the market, but the Olaf’s Adventures app is not one of them. When you look at the amazing value for money that you get with apps around the same price, there is simply no comparison.

Look for a more interactive game that challenges your children, without irritating you and them, or better yet, buy a book and read together. Just in case you think I’m being all Marshmallow about this, read some of the other reviews posted on the Web about this app. I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a dud.

Pros:

Olaf is cute.

Cons:

Confusing. Little gameplay. In-app purchases seem like colossal cheek.

Olaf’s Adventures