Review: Bob the Rock – Curling Reinvented

It can’t be denied: curling is a sport in desperate need of something to make it more interesting. The game is too slow and it’s fair to say that it’s not edge of your seat stuff. However Bob the Rock, a new game from Bears That Fly, aims to put the fun back into curling – you control several rocks (all named Bob) and you have to hit as many of the other brown colored rocks as you can to gain points. There are no targets to aim for – all you have to do is swipe, and it’s pretty addictive.

Gameplay

The game’s menu is simple and straightforward, with only three options: play, settings and comic, the latter being a gallery illustrations of the Bob the Rock which you unlock as you play through the game. It’s a bit weird and not super interesting, but I guess it makes the game different.

As I alluded to before, the game takes place on the ice. You fling Bob the Rock up the rink to try and hit other different colored stones. The more stones you hit, the more points you get, and this gets harder as you move up the levels, with obstacles getting in your way. It’s pretty simple though.

Being a simple and non-graphic intense game, the gameplay is smooth and there are no problems with lag. However occasionally, when you swipe, it does not respond, so you have to do it again in order for it to work.

The final very nice aspect of this game is its game center integration and high score screen. Whenever you have finished playing, you can log your score and see where you’ve come in your all time scores, and this motivates you to play even more. The game center integration also means that you can take on your friends to see who’s best.

Concerns

Easily the biggest let down is the lack of different levels. This game only has five, so it’s not like Angry Birds where you have hundreds. Granted, the principle and style of the game is slightly different, but the obstacles that are on the ice can get pretty repetitive and you’ll really want a new challenge after playing through the levels several times.

Despite the lack of levels, it’s one of those games that’s simple and addictive. You will urge Bob the Rock to hit another stone as he is slowing down, and will be extremely disappointed when he only narrowly misses the chance for a few more points.

Verdict

Bob the Rock is one of those time wasting games that are pretty addictive but very simple. Having said this, compared to other games in it’s genre, the number of levels it features is negligible (five against hundreds for Angry Birds) and this really takes a dimension out of the game which is a shame.

However it can’t be denied that the high score table and Game Center functionality are great, and these motivate you even more to play and beat your previous scores. Last but not least, this is much more interesting than curling, so on that basis alone, I say it’s worth the money.

Price: $0.99, App Store Link

Rating: 3/5[rating:3]

Pros:

• Simple yet addictive, which is the recipe to a lot of great games.
• Great Game Center integration and high score logging.
• Provides a much more fun and simpler alternative to curling.

Cons:

• Lack of levels really limits the game, can become quite repetitive if you play it a lot.
• The ‘Comic’ feature is strange and a bit pointless. Something more meaningful would be better.