Fling! review

Rating:

Verdict: Fling! is a seriusly challenging and engaging game that'll provide you with hours upon hours of game play. It is a thoroughly original piece of work, and is very well put together. In short, if you're after a puzzle game, this is easily one of the best currently available.

Platform: iPhone and iPod Touch

Pros: Fling! has multiple gaming modes, features constantly evolving and changing puzzles, is easy to pick-up-and-play, and it's extremely addictive.

Cons: While gameplay is quite straightforward, Fling! quickly becomes extremely difficult and you may find yourself wanting to smash your precious iPhone or iPod Touch to bits!

Version Reviewed: 1.1.2

Publisher: CandyCane

Price: £0.59

Every now and then a game comes along that seems to get people talking, whether it’s down to word of month, promotion on websites, or the simple fact that it’s really just that good is unknown - particularly, when you consider how many games are actually available on the Apps Store. Nevertheless, Fling! appears to be one of “those games” and has quickly gone on to become one of the most popular games on the Apps Store.

Like all addictive puzzle games, Fling! is extremely simple. The basic premise of the game is to roll furballs into one another and knock them off the table. To complete each level, you have to remove all but one of the furballs - sounds easy, right? Well, it is to start with. But once you’ve gotten past the first several levels the intensity and difficulty picks up at a frantic pace.

In addition, there’s two set rules to the game. First, you can only move the furballs up, down and across - no diagonal movements unfortunately. Second, you can only move a furball if it’ll directly hit another one - if there’s nothing in its path it’ll simply roll off the table.  In short every move counts, and there is absolutely no room for error.

With three game modes - Arcade, Free Play, and Challenge - there’s enough action and variation to keep you engaged for quite sometime - although, we must warn you, it does get infuriatingly hard at times. During testing we found Challenge mode to be the most demanding as you’re pitted against the clock, which means you have to think fast.

Granted, you will find the first few Challenges extremely easy, if not a little patronising, but this is merely foreplay compared to what you’ll be expected to do later on. Trust us when we say this: Fling! is both difficult, frustrating, maddening, and rewarding - sometimes, all at the same time. Nevertheless, if you’re the kind of gamer that enjoys a good challenge, this is the game for you.

Arcade mode is more geared towards high-scores, which you get for completing puzzles in quick succession. High scores are stored on both local and global leader boards. Unfortunately, our high scores failed to make any sort of impact on both the local and international score boards - some people clearly have too much time on their hands.

Like many games, as you progress through the Arcade and Challenge modes you unlock more and more levels that can be accessed in Free Mode, which is brilliant for practicing your puzzle solving skills - and trust us, you will find yourself practicing.

Overall, Fling! is a seriously accomplished game, both in the way it looks, the game’s overall feel, and the unprecedented levels of concentration it generates within you whilst playing. For example, during testing we played for a good hour and a half without a break - time literally flew by, and this is the true signature of a classic game.

While there are hints and tips available along the way, the game itself is extremely difficult, and only gets harder as you progress. Additionally, you’ll never come across the same puzzle twice as each level is uniquely generated, which certainly keeps it interesting. In short, Fling! is one of the most challenging games we’ve tested, so much so that a PhD in quantum theory probably wouldn’t help you once you get into the real meat of the game.

Overall, we’d highly recommend this game to anyone whose after a challenging and engaging gaming experience. However, please bear in mind that Fling! gets ridiculously hard, and as far as we’re aware, iPhones aren’t covered by insurance companies for Fling!-related damages - at least not yet, anyway.