Ski Safari Review: An Endless Ski Run that Delivers a Fun and Imaginative Experience

App Name:	Ski Safari
Platforms:	Universal (Optimized for iPhone and iPad)
Publisher(s):	Defiant Development
Version Reviewed:	1.0
Genre(s):	Games
Release Date:	April 26, 2012
Price:	$.99
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There are a number of “endless runner” games in the App Store. So many in fact, that one could almost say they themselves are endless, pun intended. Today, we’re reviewing one such runner game to see if it stacks up with the others, and whether or not we can give our recommendation of it for you.

It’s called Ski Safari, and it’s brought to you by the folks at Defiant Development. There are a number of areas in which Ski Safari succeeds, and a few in which it doesn’t. But first, the premise…

There’s an avalanche that has just hit your cabin, and as a result, your bed has been sent flying downhill with you still in it. Apparently you wake up and all of a sudden there are skis on your feet, which is good since you still have to continue racing downhill in order to outpace the avalanche as it quickly approaches you. Doing everything you can to outrun the avalanche will take an absurd turn as you will eventually use all sorts of weird and strange objects to ski downhill on. Objects such as penguins, yetis, and more; plus, you’ll find moments in which you go airborne with the help of a hawk. There’s a whole lot to what you will have to utilize in order to achieve your goal, which to my understanding is simply outrunning the avalanche. Whilst attempting this feat, you can throw out all sorts of combos and tricks to get some crazy air and extra speed, which is a nice added touch. Of course there are several obstacles in your way, such as rocks, cabins and more.

If you’ve ever played Jetpack Joyride, you’ll find something similar in Ski Safari’s objective and leveling based system, which offers a fun diversion to the repetitive nature the game tends to have. You’ll be given different sets of missions to complete in order to raise your rank and score multiplier, which also affects your speed. While most of the missions aren’t exactly groundbreaking, it’s a nice twist and addition, as the game can get rather redundant if played for a great while.

The controls are surprisingly simple. All you have to do is one of two things: tap or hold, or a mixture of those two. Quick taps makes your skier jump, and if you want him to perform a backflip, simply hold down on the button. If you’re not careful to pay attention to your velocity and the riding item you’re currently using, your backflip may not work as well as you’d like, so be aware.

If there’s one place the Ski Safari really shines, it’s in the light-hearted sense of fun and enjoyment that it brings. It’s just an all around joyful and playful game to immerse yourself too, with whacky cartoons and amusing music and sound effects. All the various vehicles are wonderfully imaginative (who would think that a Yeti would be a great vehicle to use to ski downhill?), and they add a fun element to a game that is already kooky in an adorable way.

After you’ve gotten the hang of things like controls and gameplay, you’ll soon find yourself getting impatient for the real challenges—aside from the side missions—to come into play. Things take awhile to build up in terms of difficulty, which is one of the detractions of the game for me. The coins are also a bit of a head scratcher, as there’s really no other way to use them aside from just simply collecting them. Shouldn’t there be some sort of shop to purchase gear or something? I would like that, as it would give the game a bit more of a customized feel.

One last thing to gripe about: I’ve mentioned it a few times already, and it bears repeating (which is ironic) that the game can get. So. Repetitive. I found myself not necessarily getting bored with it, but my interest waned a few times here and there more than I would expect. This is probably my biggest issue, and hopefully the developers will find ways to improve its replayability.

Ski Safari is definitely worth checking out, especially since it’s highly playable by people of all ages, and would make a wonderful addition to your device or even that of your kid’s. It’s universal, so it works perfectly on all iOS devices, and at only $.99, it’s a bargain, if you ask me.

Our score: 4 out of 5.

About the Author

Jared Murray is a freelance writer currently living in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

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