Bring A New World To Life With Atom Run

Posted by Maria Poeana

Atom Run Atom Run iPhone Game Review.

Looks like robots are in, these couple of weeks. After EPOCH.2 was App of the Week until a couple of days ago, this week’s app is yet another robot game called Atom Run. And the story is also pretty similar: after a huge disaster, the only living things left behind are robots, and even they are not as they used to be. After being exposed to radiation, almost all of them have gone mad. The only exception is Elgo, a cute and extremely nice little robot, which you’ll control in Atom Run.

Help Elgo complete his mission

So, your main job in this game is to help Elgo complete his mission. And this is to find and collect all the atoms and molecules that are critical to creating new life. But although Elgo will come across a lot of these atoms and molecules on its way, the road is anything but danger-free. From mad robots to flaming platforms and electrical wires scattered along its path, Elgo will have a lot of obstacles to face. And you’ll have to help him overcome them all.

Intuitive, and extremely easy to control

Although Atom Run sounds like an endless running game, it’s not. You decide when and where Elgo must run, and when it is better for him to sit and wait for a moving platform to come its way, an enemy to get away from him, a falling blade to ascend, and so on. But that doesn’t make the game any more complicated to control. You have two buttons for the run direction, and one to help Elgo jump. Running and jumping is all you’ll have to do this game, while collecting the atoms and molecules, of course, avoiding obstacles, and trying to reach your destination ahead of the timer.

Reminds you of Super Mario

As far as the gameplay is concerned, Atom Run reminded me of Super Mario. The principles are basically the same: you go through all sorts of labyrinths, while collecting items and avoiding obstacles. Even the graphics are pretty similar, although, since we’re talking about an apocalyptic scenario where only robots were left alive, Atom Run is not as colorful as Super Mario. And, obviously, you don’t have that already famous Mario tune in the background. Although the sound behind Atom Run is also pretty robotic. After all, we are talking about a Robot game.

A lot of check-points, and a really clever way to show infos

What I particularly liked about Atom Run is that you have a lot of check points per level. So, if Elgo falls into a fire, gets electroshocked, hits a mad robot, and so on, you won’t have to start the level all over again until you get this thing right. And, instead of a classic tutorial, or a pop-up, the instructions look like they are somehow part of the game. Whenever there’s something new you’re about to do, a short info block appears on a board or some other platform that is part of the game design. I found that to be a really clever touch to the game.

Totally free of charge this week only

All in all, I don’t know if I would pay to play Atom Run. In the end, it doesn’t have a spectacular design, or an extraordinary gameplay. But it brings out some interesting ideas. Plus, any game that slightly resembles Super Mario is a game worth playing. And since this week, Atom Run is totally free of charge, I say it would really be a shame not to take it for a spin. You might like Elgo so much that helping him complete his mission might become your new task of the day.

Screenshots