App review: The Incident

Like its contemporary, Canabalt, The Incident is a game that knows exactly what it’s — and seriously is not — and plays to those strengths to a T. The fundamental premise of this iPhone title is discreet enough, and in that simplicity (as with many great games) lies its power. You might be Frank Solway, a lone man eager about a day that has gone completely out of whack — namely, objects have begun falling from the sky, and it’s worthwhile to get out of how. That’s it. That’s the entire game. You dash and jump while all manner of items come hurtling towards you from above; Mini Coopers, Ikea bookshelves, bikes, fences, arcade cabinets… really practically anything you may reflect on. Your goal is to bypass what’s coming next (teased by a flashing white strip along the tip of the screen), grab the range of power-ups that happen by, and keep getting as high as it is easy to to achieve checkpoints. It’s amazingly fun, and the charm of the game is doubled by developer Big Bucket’s use of retro, 8-bit graphics which include a pitch-perfect chiptune soundtrack. The effect is terrific, blending an appropriate of what we adore from our NES years with the sort of gaming that’s ideally fitted to a mobile device. We will’t overstate how polished The Incident seems — the developers have made your entire right decisions, and the end result is a game you choose up quickly, but can’t put backtrack. While you’ve got $1.99 to spare, why are you still reading this?

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