Army Runner 3D

Have you ever played a mobile game with ads in it?  Then during the ads, you see a game that looks interesting, and you download it.  Then you start the game, and it looks like a crappier version of what the advertisement showed, and you think “what the hell…why didn’t they just make the game they were showing in the advertisement.”  Army Runner 3D delivers a game that looks just as good as the ads.  I have seen plenty of ads for Army Runner type games, but this is the first game that I can recall that plays exactly as the game looks. 

Army Runner 3d doesn’t bring anything new to the table as a game.  It’s a very basic game and does not push the boundaries of mobile gaming.  What it does do is provide a fun and simple game that you can play on the go.  It has no in game purchasing and runs only one ad after you beat each level.

The premise is simple: one runner starts the level and you run into other colorless bodies that then join your army.  As you run, you see checkpoint gates that say “2x” or “archer” or “knight” and as you go through the gate your little army transforms into what is written on the gate.  It’s a fun quick puzzle game where you must decide how you are going to transform your army before you start fighting the enemy waiting further down the path.  At first, the game is extremely straight forward- just go through the gates and advance.  As you get further along to higher levels, you must start thinking about strategies and how you are going to divide your army to properly conquer the enemy waiting for you.  Your army is running at a certain speed so you only have a select amount of time to put your army through the gates to transform your army into archers, knights, bombers, etc.

The Pros:

It is a quick pick-up game.  You can finish a level in under 30 seconds, so if you need something to keep you busy for a quick 5 minutes it fits the bill perfectly.  Some games take too long to complete a level and if I am pumping gas I cannot dedicate 15 minutes just to beat a level.  Added bonus, there is no main menu.  You literally load the game, and you are already at the start of the level.  Just touch the screen and off your army runs.

Again, it’s as advertised.  What you see, is what you get.  The game is not going to throw you some disappointing curve ball.  It’s going to give you exactly what you see.  That is refreshing in a gaming industry saturated with ads that are essentially fake.  Gotta give credit where credit is due.

Ads are short, and there is no “cash grab” feel to the game.  As a matter of fact, I did not see any component in the game where you could spend money.  It was refreshing to know I did not have to pay to play and I was okay with an ad after each level completion.

The Cons:

The game does not do anything to revolutionize gaming.  It is a simple runner game where you build up an army quickly and battle.  In defense of the company that made the game…I don’t think their intent was to revolutionize mobile gaming.  I think their intent was to do exactly what they did, which was create a quick fun game.

It can get boring quickly.  It feels like it should have a little more variety.  It would be nice if the game mixed things up a little more.  It feels like, after playing the game for an hour or so, that you are going to see more of the same for the rest of the time you play the game.  More upgrades/ gates would make it a little more entertaining.

Overall the game does exactly what it is designed to do…be a quick fun game you can pick up wherever you are and play a fast level or two.  It will not blow your mind, but it does have some fun factor.  I think if you know that going into it…it will be a fun experience.