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Halfbrick, the developer behind several independent hits (including the addictive produce-slicing Fruit Ninja HD on iPad), have started off the New Year with a bang, thanks to the help of several skull-faced beings with a penchant for running through stages and zapping things with a wand. Hey, what else would you expect from a game called Raskulls? Logic? Human faces? C’mon. The best way to describe Raskulls is a mixture of platforming and racing, with some elements of Namco’s Mr. Driller thrown in for good measure. You’ll run across a multi-tiered stage, avoiding pratfalls and occasionally zapping colored blocks (which fall into other blocks in order to vanish) while competing against other racers, including rival Raskulls and henchmen…er, henchmice that don’t take any guff. More competitive elements come with each new Quest you take on, as well as new dangers, including a pestersome droid that’ll stop you in your tracks if you don’t zap him quickly enough.
We admit, the game is a little harder than we expected it to be, and it will take newcomers a little time to get used to, as far as its pacing is concerned. However, after a few stages, we got a hang of Raskulls’ uniqueness, and came to appreciate it. Halfbrick has done a superb job with the game’s engine, bringing together the best elements of racing and platforming into one ideal product. The competitive angle never gets old, and with a series of Mega Quests to complete (along with a free Grand Prix race mode), there’s a lot of ground to cover. The game is also playable against others, both locally and online (which is the better option). Raskulls also provides some deep strategies for those who embrace them. As you proceed through each race, you’ll have the option of picking up boost power, which will help you move faster through the stage. You’ll have to use these sparingly, but effectively, in order to get the best lap time or beat your racing foes. Sometimes it helps to take a dry run through a stage, just to see where everything is. Practice really does make perfect here.
Along with the great stage design, Raskulls also has excellent character design. Even though the Raskulls look the same in general, their costumes really give them distinct personalities, from the wise-ass wheelchair bound military dude to the less-than-adorable love interest. The humor is balanced just right here, not being too smarmy for its own good while at the same time providing some good laughs. Kudos to Halfbrick for making the design stand out. As for audio, it’s okay. The background music is nothing special, but it’s decent, and the sound effects are about what you’d expect in a platformer. Thankfully, the Raskulls aren’t given annoying voices to drown out their appeal. Thank goodness – we can’t imagine how these guys would talk. If you want a challenging platformer along the same lines of New Super Mario Bros. or are looking for something that offers a different kind of competitiveness, these Raskulls will warm their way right into your heart. But if you’re not a veteran of the genre or don’t take to challenges too easily, try the trial version first.
