First impressions
We had seen that Temple Run: Brave, based around the Disney animated feature “Brave,” was free from the App Store for a limited time, and as almost anything free is a good deal, we jumped at the chance to give it a try.
Right off the bat we were impressed with the graphics – this game is stunning on the iPad screen; and we were playing on the original iPad. The new iPad with its fab upgrades must make players feel like they’re deep in the heart of Scotland when they play this. There’s probably a bonus app that will drop the surrounding temperature about 50 degrees to really ramp up the atmosphere. We started the game and Merida came flying out of the cave with the scary Mordu demon bear right on her tail. All we can say is that the girl can certainly run!
How it works
Merida needs to outrun Mordu, dealing with obstacles, shooting targets with her bow and arrow, and collecting coins as she goes. The game starts off with hints and arrows aplenty, indicating how to swipe and tap on the screen to keep her going. She has to jump over fallen trees and large gaps, slide under bigger objects, and turn on a moment’s notice lest she end up in the water below. With the added fog it all keeps life interesting.
There are lines of gold coins along the way which she can pick up if you tilt your device in the right direction. These can be used to purchase power-ups and the like in the store, such as a head start, invisibility, and one-use recovery from falling instead of having the level end, taking you back to the cave again.
This is a fast-moving game and Merida never seems to get tired despite her consistent and impressive speed. After all, the Scots are known for their endurance – just look at Sean Connery. You’ll pick up the method of playing and the different touchscreen commands pretty quickly, but as the landscape keeps changing, it will keep your interest even whilst you effortlessly hit every target as you jump over tree stumps.
When we played
Again, we were taken with the graphics from the start. Of course, it’s no Frogger, but whaddya gonna do?
We were shocked into a state of alert the minute we touched the “Play” button and Merida began running. Her fate was in our hands, and man, could that Mordu motor!
We did quite well with getting her to jump and turn those ghastly 90 degree corners, but were fairly rubbish at hitting the targets the first time, and the second time, and the third time … We could almost hear the game sigh as “Try Again” came up on the screen and we’d go again.
In the end, we realised we had to tap the targets, not Merida, which is why she kept shooting randomly into the forest. Silly, silly us. It also took us a bit of time to get the sliding sorted out, so we wouldn’t have been surprised if our heroine was reaching for the Advil after we’d slammed her into a bridge five times in a row. Once we got the hang of it, however, she was sliding like a pro.
That being said, it wasn’t easy to keep going without something befalling her. Even as we got her to jump the gaps we’d miss a crucial turn and she’d be into the drink. Back to the cave.
When we handed this over to the 10-year-old daughter of a friend, it was embarrassing to see how quickly she managed to figure it all out. She got Merida much further than we had managed, and she wasn’t even Scottish. We skulked back to our room like Mordu to regroup and improve.
Final thoughts
Not only is Temple Run: Brave visually stunning, it’s a great test of anyone’s hand-eye coordination and reflexes. You really have to think on your feet when you’re playing this game. As Merida says from time to time, “I’ve got to keep moving.” So will you if you want to keep her ahead of that bear.
Pros: Visually gorgeous. Good training information at the beginning. Keeps your heart rate up. Great for all ages.
: None really, apart from the fact that some of us wimps might like Merida to take a rest from time to time.
Temple Run: Brave
Cost: Free (for a limited time; normally $0.99)
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android devices
Seller: Walt Disney (Designer: Imangi)
Rating: E for Everyone, Four Stars
It also took us a bit of time to get the sliding sorted out, so we wouldn’t have been surprised if our heroine was reaching for the Advil after we’d slammed her into a bridge five times in a row.
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