Joe Danger Infinity
It was all meant to be over for Joe. But here we are, a little under a year since he last brought his patented enthusiasm for bone-crushing stunts to mobile devices, and Joe Danger Infinity very much builds on the successor of its predecessor. Only this time the eponymous hero isn’t just pulling off wheelies and backflips with his trademark motorcycle, but has raided the literal toybox; wind-up planes, cupcakes and ducks all sell the tiny toy motif.
There are clear echoes of Codemasters’ Micro Machines here. You begin the game navigating through everyday items hazardously strewn across the kitchen counter, only to graduate through the entirety of the household. And while each environment is smartly designed around the novel surroundings and stunt trickery, the sheer pace of the actions and frantic tapping and collecting of coins and items means that all Hello Games’ efforts with the backdrop mostly just speed past at a blur.
There’s so much going on at the screen at one time that you’ll be tapping and swiping all the way to the finish line. Competition is the beating heart of Joe Danger and this mobile iteration has a good case for being the most fiercely competitive entry in the series. It doesn’t feature anything as straightforwardly challenging as racing ghost data (one of the console sequel’s main enhancements over the original) but it does have all the ingredients for a captivating scoreboard scramble against friends.
But this also leads to a very clear danger that becomes more pronounced as the game progresses. If the idea of paid-for content that offers an in-game advantage leaves you with an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach, then you’re not alone. Infinity has a range of items, characters and vehicles that require an inordinate in-game price point, urging players to spend real-world currency to gain a clear strategic advantage or an easy out for some of the more complex stages. If it was any more intrusive it would run the risk of revealing a dark underbelly to Joe’s perpetual colourful veneer.
But it’s easy to leave such qualms in the swirling plumes of smoke left in your path. This is, after all, another thoughtfully crafted series of impressive setpieces, with bonus stages including 100 mile per hour wha ck-a –mole and endearingly unpredict able challenges, like racing a monkey to the finish line. Joe Danger Infinity is a responsive and endlessly playable handheld experience, one brimming with personality and simply joyous across every facet of its design. Hello Games might be leaving the series behind, looking to the skies for its next venture, but in Infinity, Joe has gone beyond.
Details
Format: iOS
Origin: UK
Publisher: Hello Games
Developer: In-house
Release: Out now
Players: 1
Online Reviewed: N/A
.
