Punch Quest’ Review – Punching The Lights Out

‘Punch Quest’ Review – Punching The Lights Out
Where should I start with Punch Quest ?

? Maybe with the control scheme that’s as simple as simple can be yet has an underlying depth like nothing else. Or the visuals that reminisce on old times spent at the arcades playing Ghosts ‘N Goblins and the ilk.

Or I could just go on for ages about riding a dinosaur that shoots lasers out of its mouth, which in itself has to be hands down my favourite gaming moment of the year right now. Then, of course, there’s the in-app purchase program…

My appreciation for Punch Quest could go on for some time, despite the dark cloud that sat over it during its first few months. If you haven’t played it so far, all you need to know is that you run along from left to right, punching and uppercutting a steady stream of ghosts, demons, mages and skeletons in order to reach the highest score possible. But that’s just scratching the surface.

There’s only two buttons, punch forward or uppercut, yet the dynamics of the game world allow for a host of different results. Combos come into play, bouncing dead skeleton heads into other creatures or jumping over platforms to reach power ups and branching paths. Speaking of, there’s a number extra items and upgrades to choose from and it won’t take long before you have a few powerful options in your arsenal. Most are all about surviving longer and dishing out more punishment upon the many villains and critters that litter the runway, while a few will help tick over your coin collection or add a little splash of humour to the proceedings.

I actually delayed this review just to see what would happen to the in-game purchasing system. Originally you would have to purchase upgrades and extras if you wanted them before unlocking by using real life cash. That freemium design, if you’ve been keeping up with the news, became a crutch that held back its success since launch, despite the amount of unique downloads. The result is a paid app with the same content, though with a lack of emphasis on in-game purchases this time around.

While it’s a shame that Rocketcat Games had to make that change, in reality there’s so many coins available during play that most of the upgrades you can unlock easily enough. Or you could simply play without, it won’t hinder your enjoyment no matter what you decide to do. If that wasn’t the case, perhaps this review would have been in a slightly more negative light on said freemium content.

Honestly though, Punch Quest isn’t original. You could bring it down a peg or two for being one of many, many indie games with the same retro stylings that’s quickly becoming a bit common of late. You could also argue that the ‘runner that never stops’ genre has also been done to death on iOS. But the combination of simple yet engaging controls, a wonderful visual appeal and a rousing musical score combines into a well rounded and addictive little package despite all that familiarity.

As for the update to a paid app, there’s so much content and fun to be had that paying such a small fee shouldn’t put you off one bit. In game purchases are null and void now, which should act as a lesson to other devs looking to employ a similar business model. But in the end that doesn’t dent the quality of a game that’s sole purpose was to have fun whilst remembering the good old days. 99 cents is also a more than reasonable price given the quality on offer.

So if you’re late to the party or were hesitant to pick it up before, I implore you to purchase Punch Quest and play it through as much as you can. It’s a deserved contender for one of the best titles of 2012 and certainly a highlight of the ever crowded iOS scene.

[review pros=”Smooth retro visuals, wonderful musical score, simple but highly enjoyable gameplay” cons=”paid content is now null and void, can get a little repetitive after a while” score=88]