With over 170 million downloads since launch; the Temple Run game has proved to be one of the most successful titles to be released on the iPhone and iPad, but the fun just doesn’t stop there. Imangi Studios are back and they have most-definitely upped their game, with Temple Run 2 starting to become available in App Store markets across the world.
If you’re new to Temple Run, it’s an “endless runner” game where your character has to run (and leap, turn and slide) for as long as possible without falling to their doom, smacking face-first into trees or bridges, or getting caught by the giant monkey that – for reasons unexplained – is chasing you. If you die, you go back to the start. Well, usually. Is the sequel as good as the predecessor? Continue reading to find out.
The sequel maintains the same basic gameplay as the original, so expect plenty of running away from danger while collecting coins and avoiding obstacles. But don’t think that there aren’t any changes in the new game. Temple Run 2 features an all-new environment (a floating temple), where you can ride in mine carts and on zip lines, check out new powerups, and, according to the App Store description, be chased by an even bigger monkey.
The graphics have also been noticeably bumped up in quality, with the scenery around you noticeably richer in detail. Developer Imangi Studios used the Unity development platform for Temple Run 2, and has convincingly fleshed out the game’s world.
There is some obvious “pop-up” on display – rocky crags and scenery that seems to pop up out of nowhere – but there’s never any slowdown that impacts on the gameplay. Also new is a mine-cart section where your character reaches the mouth of a mine then leaps into a cart, which you then steer safely through forks by tilting left and right, while ducking under stray beams. If Temple Run already had a dash of Indiana Jones in its DNA, it’s even clearer here – and a welcome inclusion.
As before, there are several characters you can play. Four initially: Guy Dangerous, Scarlett Fox, Barry Bones and Karma Lee. Unlike the first game, the differences between them aren’t purely cosmetic, thanks to the use of power-ups. Some of them include:
- Shield Protects you from obstacles
- Boost Whizzes you ahead at a faster pace
- Coin Magnet Attracts coins
(All for a limited time)
This time round there are two separate virtual currencies: coins and gems.
Coins are used to unlock Scarlett, Barry and Karma and upgrade their abilites – increasing the distance and duration of their power-ups, making the coin meter fill faster, increasing their score multiplier and so on. Each ability has five levels to upgrade to with increasingly powerful effects, and your upgrades are carried across whatever character you play as.
Gems are the other currency, and these are used for consumable items, like restarting from the point you died rather than the very beginning, or one-time boosts of power-ups.
You earn coins fast, and gems slow. You can buy both in the in-app store: coins run from 69p for 5,000 to £13.99 for 400,000, while gems go from 69p for five to £13.99 for 500. A one-time £2.99 payment for the Coin Doubler feature will help you earn coins faster, meanwhile.
Lots of people who don’t consider themselves gamers will love it. Kids will love it, but so will grandparents. Footballers will love it – Wayne Rooney has famously bragged about his Temple Run scores on Twitter.
But many veteran gamers – the people who give many hoots about the next Call of Duty – will also love Temple Run 2. It crosses demographic and gaming boundaries as easily as Guy Dangerous hops over dangling footbridges. An excellent sequel. And still an excellent game.
Temple Run will release on Android next week. We’ll try to review that too for all our Android users out there. Screenshots were taken on an iPad Mini. You can download Temple Run for iOS (free) here.
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