And so to Angry Gran Run, another one of them run-as-far-as-you-can-while-collecting-coins-and-avoiding-obstacles type games, currently tearing it up on the App Store.
If I told you Angry Gran Run either a) rewrites the rules for said games, or b) is essentially a carbon copy of Temple Run with a pinch of Agent Dash and Super Penguins, which would your money be on?
Yeah, you’re right; Angry Gran Run is pretty much par for the course as far as these games go. It’s far from bad, but it doesn’t offer much – if anything – new.
Essentially, you guide the eponymous Angry Gran with tilt controls, and you’re tasked with running for ages while collecting gold coins and avoiding the obligatory obstacle stuff, including glass panes, cars, roadworks, and – somewhat bizarrely – a tyrannosaurus rex.
You might think the tyrannosaurus is a vaguely amusing and/or over the top touch, however we saw it a few weeks ago in The Last Driver, which has zombies and UFOs, too. Just saying.
Angry Gran Run also has the usual assortment of power-ups to invest in: invincibility, slow time, speed boost, coin magnet… same old same old. There are also one-off power-ups, including head starts and Resurrection. You’ve seen it all before.
There are also various Angry Gran Run skins, including Wonder Gran and Michael Jackson-inspired Thriller Gran, though they cost an absolute fortune (in gold coin terms).
Of course, you can always fork out real money for the extras. With the game being free, AceViral would sure welcome your green. Fair enough.
There are Angry Gran Run leaderboards, though they’re hidden away on Game Center. As such, you might well find yourself questioning why you’re playing Angry Gran Run; why are you collecting coins and investing in power-ups?
Having said all that, Angry Gran Run is oddly moreish, and it nips along at a fair old rate. Still, once you’ve put in your first million-point run, there’s a good chance you’ll think twice before tapping ‘Run Again’.
Pros
- It’s free
- It’s fast
- Lots of stuff in the store, I guess
Cons
- Seen it all before
- Seriously unoriginal
- The lack of environments
Summary: If you’ve played Temple Run et al, you mightn’t find much of interest in Angry Gran Run. By no means bad, just completely lacking in originality.
Developer: Ace Viral
Price: free @ App Store
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
