It's nice to see companies investing tons of money on extravagant virtual reality hardware, but all I really need is a pair of wire-frame hands and a vector track to wave them on. Fotonica gives me just that.
Born from a browser-based game from way back in the days when no one knew what the Unity game engine was, Fotonica is a first-person running game that really comes into its own on the iPhone. On the diminutive platform the first-person platform runner really shines; its simplicity appreciated; its clean lines sharper and more compact.
We've called it Mirror's Edge meets Rez. I suppose the comparison stands, though Fotonica thankfully lacks the complexity of either of those. You touch the screen to run, lift to jump, touch to land. Easy-peasy and potentially queasy. It's got a handful of arcade levels, an endless mode where the truly skilled can shine and a novel same-screen two-player game. Well worth the $2.99 asking price, especially since it never asks for anything more.
As long as you aren't prone to motion sickness, Fotonica is a delightful little game, ready to deliver small doses of excitement at a moment's notice. I'd rather play this than strap elaborate equipment to my head any day.
Fotonica
- Genre: First-person runner
- Developer: Santa Ragione
- Platforms: iOS
- Price: $2.99
- The Gist: An '80s virtual reality dream come to life. Sweet and simple.