Ragdoll Blaster Review: Fun with Canons

App Name:	Ragdoll Blaster
Platforms:	iPhone, iPod Touch
Publisher(s):	Backflip Studios
Genre(s):	physics

Backflip Studios has provided adults with ample reason to start playing with dolls again. But thankfully, not in the conventional sense . . . Ragdoll Blaster is a physics-based puzzle game, putting the player in charge of a doll-firing canon and presenting over 100 unique challenges.

Each level contains a canon and a target. It’s everything that gets in between these two that creates the variety. You will have to deal with obstacles such as springs, pistons, wheels, buttons, and motors in order to fire a limp ragdoll and hope that it somehow makes its way to the red target, clearing the level. Your score depends on how many ragdolls it takes to reach the target, and the game keeps track of the number of dolls used per level as well as overall. This $1.99 version contains just over 100 levels, each becoming increasingly difficult. Scores can be submitted and compared online, with the best players being those who use the fewest dolls to clear the entire package of stages.

Ragdoll Blaster hits a lot of the right notes (it’s default soundtrack from “The Nutcracker” not withstanding). It’s one of those games that succeeds primarily because of its simplicity. One touch on the screen determines your ragdoll’s aim and velocity. The first few levels are basically point and shoot, with the next few dozen slowly working you into the more complicated scenarios which require some thought and an unfortunate, wasted pile of used ragdolls that missed the target. The graphics follow a dominant trend in recent games, appearing as though they were sketched on graph paper with pen and pencil. The “physics” aspect of the game is fully realized, the ragdolls reacting just as you would expect as they launch out of the canon and careen off anything that’s in their way. It’s fun to watch, and quite satisfying when you plan the correct trajectory and manipulate the surroundings to guide your doll straight to the target.

There is not a lot wrong here, but don’t expect Ragdoll Blaster to blow your mind. It’s a laid back, quirky experience that is worth a shot if phyics-based games are your thing. And even if they’re not, it succeeds as a time killer, which is sometimes what we’re looking for in iPhone games of this nature.

The pricing does raise some eyebrows when you consider what some games in the app store have to offer for the same $1.99. There are plenty of levels, but after awhile they start to look similar and blur together. On the same token, the levels have been criticized for their difficulty deeper into the game, with some of them requiring some users to go through hundreds of dolls before hitting the target. This is an obvious point of frustration, as are the incredibly convoluted mechanics of some of the later levels, which are clever but gimmicky.

In the end, Ragdoll Blaster succeeds mostly as a unique concept that is developed well by Backflip Studios. It’s gameplay is smooth, but the experience becomes repetitive after not too long.

I Recommended it for fans of physics games, and those looking for something with a low learning curve that will pass the time.

Rating:  3/5

Ragdoll Blaster is available in the App Store for $1.99. (App Store Link)

Check out the trailer below for more footage of Ragdoll Blater in action.

About the Author

Devin Wieland

 

Free! Gem Keeper