Golem Rage
By: Zuki Games
Zuki Games’ Golem Rage is one of those rare unicorns, a runner that’s a paid game without any ads or in-app purchases (IAP). It’s also level-based instead of endless, so those who are tired of infinite runners have something to look forward to. I’ve played a bit and the game is it really a good fit for me, but I still wanted to show off some gameplay and describe how it works.
After a brief intro in the form of comic book frames, you take on the role of an enraged golem just trying to get away from everyone. But no one will just let you be. They attack you with swords, or arrows, shields, or even meteor showers! These pesky humans just won’t get out of your way! So you have to make them. To do so, you move your thumb up and down the left side of the screen to change aisles. You swipe to the right on the right side of the screen to roll towards people and crush them. Then, you have a Punch button on the right that you can use to straight-up attack enemies. You can also perform a quick swipe to the left to swiftly deal with a single enemy in your way. On top of all that, you have a rage meter. When it fills up, you can double-tap to release your rage and perform a powerful burning attack on everything around you. There are also some RPG elements that allow you to increase your health or other stats. And that’s the gist of it, at least from what I played.
I like the humor and the variety of enemies, and the art style is charming. But I find it too hard to keep track of all the different controls when things are moving at such a fast pace. You’re doing an awful lot with your right hand — two different swipes, a button (or two) and then a double-tap. All while maneuvering around obstacles with your left hand. I would find myself accidentally double-tapping when I was trying to hit the Punch button. I think I would have preferred the two reversed, as you need to punch more often, and it would be nice to do so without having to look for the button. In general, I think the controls could use some simplifying, as there’s just too much to keep track of.
In its current state, I don’t see myself playing much more. But I appreciate that the developers went with a fair model and there does seem to be a lot of love behind the game, so I hope those who enjoy this genre will give it a chance. At least take a look at the video above so you can see the tutorial. If you don’t think you’d find it overwhelming and want to give it a chance, you can download the game here.
