Edge review

Richard Goodwin

We review Edge, the game where you’re tasked with guiding a 3D cube around bizarre structures, which seem to be located way out in deep space

Rating:

Verdict: Edge is a fun, honest, and easy to pick-up-and-play type of game, which harks back to the days when computer games were simple, addictive, and highly rewarding.

Platform: iPhone and iPod Touch

Pros: Edge is very easy to play, and is generally quite addictive. There's enough challenges to make it interesting and ensure you'll be back again and again. The controls are also very well tuned, and suit the game play extremely well

Cons: There aren't really enough levels, and you will inevitably complete the game very quickly.

Version Reviewed: 1.31

Publisher: Mobigame

Price: £2.99

"Retro" chic is back in vogue, and like it or not, it’s apparently here to stay. You only have to turn on the radio, walk down a high street, or pay a visit to Brick Lane to realise that although it may be 2009, it might as well be 1983. Fortunately, retro games are actually quite good - everybody loves Tetris, Mario Brothers, Pong, and death race. So, with this in mind, how does the retro-tinged Edge shape up against the old-school classics?

While Edge may look retro in its appearance from the get go - the opening screen is all flashing neon colours and blocky 3D graphics - it’s actually a very well rounded and sleekly designed game that harks back to the simplicity of yesteryear’s design aesthetics, whilst still managing to keep one foot firmly planted in the here-and-now.

The purpose of the game is to move a cube across a floating terrain to a portal which the proceeds to vaporize it and presumably “worm-hole” over to the next level. The design of the levels is simple, yet effective, consisting of steps, bridges, gaps, and moving floors. The sole purpose of Edge is to get through each level, and around its obstacles, in the quickest time possible. At the end of each level you’re time is graded, and sometimes rather harshly too - the best we managed was a B, unfortunately.

Moving the cube around in Edge is extremely simple. To move the cube from one place to the next you simply slide your finger in the direction you want the cube to move, and away it goes. Additionally, if you want the cube to keep on moving you simply hold down your finger until you reach the desired spot. On the whole, Edge’s user interface is excellent, combining extremely intuitive controls and just enough sensitivity to ensure that when you slip up, and you will, you are punished.

While some people may find Edge’s graphics a little archaic, we thought they were perfectly suited to the game, its style, and what the developers set out to do - re-create the fun and simplicity of the arcade machines of the 1980s, just on the iPhone format. Additionally, the soundtrack is amazing - easily one of the best we’ve heard for an iPhone game, especially if you’re into electronica.

Overall, there are 26 levels on Edge, and as you progress through them the challenges you face begin to stack up, such as more obstacles, the increased need for timing your moves, faster chases, and even some puzzle solving thrown in for good measure. However, you are never really challenged to the point of frustration at any point during the game, and this is certainly one Edge’s downfalls, as we like a good old challenge, and you can easily get through all 26 levels in under an hour.

On the whole, Edge is a neat little game, and we certainly enjoyed playing it. Sure, it could certainly do with being a little more difficult, but it’s hardly the end of the world that it isn’t - it’s still a really fun game nonetheless.

Also, it’s probably worth noting that some people even prefer easy games, so maybe the fact that Edge isn’t that difficult isn’t such a bad thing after all?