League of Evil 2 Review: Fast-Paced Puzzle Mayhem

App Name:	Leage of Evil 2
Platforms:	Universal
Publisher(s):	Ravenous Games
Version Reviewed:	1.1
Genre(s):	Puzzle, Platformer
Release Date:	February 17, 2012
Price:	$2.99
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In the mood for a fast-paced platform puzzle game? Look no further than League of Evil 2 , the follow-up to the highly successful League of Evil. This sequel manages to capture all the playability and one-more-go dynamic of the original, making it a game you should definitely pick up. Because trust me, it’s ever so much fun to punch evil in the face!

League of Evil 2, like its predecessor, is all about speed. You move through each short, enemy- and trap-filled level as quickly as you can, trying to find the evil scientist (the eventual receiver of the aforementioned punch to the face). Things start out easy, but as you progress through the more than 100 levels, things get harder. Fast.

Playing League of Evil reminds me of bygone days when I was trying to speed-run Super Mario Bros. It’s not about getting all the items or defeating all the enemies; it’s about getting to the end of the level as quickly as possible. That’s all that really matters. Doing that — and earning three stars for it — means playing some levels over and over again until you figure out the patterns and the beats, and can execute them flawlessly. On some of the later levels, this will mean playing a level many, many times.

Like any good puzzle game, of course, precision and speed are rewarded with more stars. There are also briefcases to collect. Together, these items help you with unlockables in the game, such as new costumes for the hero. Such unlockables are always welcome, especially when not accompanied by constant reminders that they can be had via IAP.

Achieving this in LoE2 is helped along by really solid controls and speedy gameplay. Your little hero speeds through the level, leaps high, and responds nicely to the virtual buttons. I always wish with games like these that the device had physical controls, but these are some of the most responsive virtual controls I’ve yet played with. In this, they seem to be ported directly from the first game; because he, why mess with it if it works?

If there’s a complaint here, it’s that the game really doesn’t have anything new to offer. It’s a whole new dose of League of Evil, but it’s more or less the same game. When something is this good, of course, it’s nice to have more — but even Angry Birds Seasons found some ways to riff off of the original Angry Birds and differentiate itself a bit.

While the gameplay hasn’t been greatly refined from LoE1, the graphics have. Instead of the retro 8-bit look, this game sports a retro 16-bit look — like any good sequel back in the day, designed for the next iteration of the system. I like these better, especially on the smaller screen where retro graphics can sometimes get muddy. On the big screen, things look great (and yes, it’s a Universal app, which makes me happy).

Short, short version: Leafue of Evil 2 is great. If you like League of Evil, you’ve probably already bought LoE2; but if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? A punch in the face?

Our Score: 5 out of 5

About the Author

Writer@Large Brian P. Hudson is an educator and freelance writer currently living in Dearborn, MI.

 

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