Not a bad little infinite runner in the infinite run of iOS infinite runners.
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By Ned Jordan
One Epic Knight is an infinite runner, and if you know what that means and
are perfectly happy playing Temple Run then that's about all you need to know
about it. Otherwise, let's take a closer look at One Epic Knight'
First, for those of you unfamiliar with infinite runners, the game has you
controlling a knight who decides to raid the local dungeon by sprinting through
it at a full run. You can't stop the knight, but you can help him avoid running
into a wall, stepping into a trap, or falling into a chasm. As the knight runs
through the dungeon you can switch him between three running lanes, or help him
turn a corner, by swiping your finger left or right on the screen. You'll want
to pick up the coins and treasure chests scattered on the floor, as well as
shields and swords. Shields will let you break through a trap and swords will
let you run right over some of the monsters wandering the dungeon. If you find
yourself without one of those implements, then the traps and monsters will stop
you in your tracks just as forcefully as a wall does. Further challenge is added
by the need to slide under some obstructions by swiping down on the screen and
to jump over spikes and bottomless pits with an up swipe. Make a mistake and
it's all over ' you're given your coins and the distance you managed to run
before dying is recorded.
Between runs you can use your coins to purchase power-ups that give you
bonuses or special protection for a future run. The game will happily let you
pay real money for these bonuses should you find your in-game coin purse feeling
a little light, which sends more money the developers' way while neutering the
leaderboards and turning them into a ranking of players by income. Luckily there
are plenty of in-game achievements to go for so you can feed your sense of
accomplishment without having to resort to paying for it.
One Epic Knight might not be all that original, but it has a certain charm to
it. The graphics are appealing and cartoon-like, and I appreciate all the little
details and animations such as that of the knight stretching out and limbering
up outside of the dungeon while you're on the main screen. Games are short,
simple, and fun, perfect for a mobile game, and the dungeons are randomized to
keep things from becoming an exercise in memorization. My biggest complaints are
that sometimes finger swipes don't register correctly (or at all) which will
almost always bring your game to an end when it happens and that pits can be
difficult to see in some of the dungeon's dimly lit stretches. Overall, though,
it's a fun little game that's worth picking up if you haven't had your fill of
infinite runners by now.
