innocent - to - gambling game often face likable , but it ’s difficult to have sex at a glance whether the concern model is insidious and fun wrecking , or reasonable and deserving pumping a few buck into . With Freemium Field Test , we ’ll take a late free - to - play iOS game , put it through its stride , and let you know if it ’s really deserving your time ( and money ) .
Helplessly fall through the cloud at a rapid tread towards the dirt ? Terrifying . Controlled falling , on the other hand ? Potentially exalt . And that ’s the kind of sentiency thatSky Dancertaps into , blending a intimate behind - the - back endless moon curser approach with the less - intimate look of swing big distances to platform below .
It ’s a neat hook that helps typeset this wandering experience asunder from the mostly done - to - death runner genre , pumping a moment of fresh excitement in between the sprints . But is it enough to keep affair interesting over the long haulage , or is Sky Dancer just a dashing deflexion that fag out its solid welcome ?
The pitch
Sky Dancer comes across as a blend ofTemple Run — or any of the many , many game like Temple Run — and the smart as a whip first - soul jump off plot , Fotonica , albeit with the third - individual perspective of the former . You ’ll get down off on a float platform in the sky and start fly the coop down the track , but it chop-chop becomes open that the path terminate . And then you precipitate into nothingness .
Much of the game is spent sprinting along platform and snag coins , which is n’t all that different from a lot of endless runner .
But then the tv camera pans downwards a bit and you see the next chopine below . In some cases , you do n’t have to move at all to land utterly and keep running ahead : some of these parcels of debar land are a full-strength shot down . However , as your dateless runnel keeps going , that ’s less and less the casing , and you ’ll need to shift left or veracious in mid - air to carefully position yourself and landed estate . If you pretermit , the ladder ends .
Later platforms add complexities to liven up the leap action , as you ’ll bolt across smaller gaps , manage several successive jumps without a break , dive through chasms to get to the next landing place dapple , or palm turn around curved platforms with barriers on both sides . fortuitously , the control stay ultra - reachable throughout , with simultaneous left and right taps used to jump off , and case-by-case left or correct taps or holds used to dislodge in either direction .
The falling succession tote up a courteous boot of adrenaline , especially when the next chopine isnotdirectly beneath you .
Like most endless game , the goal here is to top the leaderboards — but it ’s about setting the highest score rather than necessarily the farthest space , and your score multiplier will increase steadily as you complete in - plot challenge . And that ’s an sphere in which some real - life money can directly influence your scoring power .
The catch
First , the good news : Sky Dancer does n’t have any variety of push meter or credit organisation , so you ’ll never be forced to stop play to wait on a timer , or pay your way through a barrier . And luckily , it also does n’t have any streamer or pop - up advertising , as I played for hour before drop a cent and never hit anything . That ’s a corking start .
However , there are mode to spend money here . You ’ll pick up coins steadily through play , as they ’re found in row on the platform and sometimes in little mid - air bundles , and those are used for various purposes in the biz . you may spend 1,000 of them for a single continue once you fall , for example , or opt rather to ascertain a short picture advertising with the same result . you’re able to also pass coins to unlock some of the extra characters , which all seem toplaythe same when it comes to the basics of running and jumping .
you could spend coin to jump problematic challenges , which still helps move on your player spirit level and score multiplier .
finally , you’re able to spend coins to jump challenge , which is where a enceinte shock is felt . Each time you complete the current trio of object , your player level advances , as does your sexual conquest multiplier . And if you hit a challenge that you just ca n’t seem to get through , you may spend a few thousand coins to unclutter it , which counts the same as actually completing it . In short , you’re able to pass a bunch of coins to knock out challenge and buy your way to a higher multiplier .
It ’s an annoying oddity of a leaderboard - chasing plot , as it would be possible for someone to dump $ 50 or $ 100 on bounty bundle of coins and quickly replicate his or her score multiplier , for model . That could get really expensive , however , and besides , I ’m not convinced that the fair player will see any indigence to corrupt coin pack . If anything , spending $ 1 on the coin - doubling power is a smarter investment for long - term play , and that ’s all I bothered catch from the store .
flirt daily can unlock a passel of welfare without spending a affair .
Sky Dancer is somewhat giving with perks for casual role player , as you ’ll earn chests of coins and other bonuses ( such as case ) with each successive day play . And since the characters are pretty generic and appear very in functionality — based on the handful I ’ve unlock so far — it ’s hard to justify pass big within .
The verdict
All that said , I palpate like I ’ve seen and played enough after a calendar week with the game , and do n’t have a lot of motivating to keep coming back . The incremental mark improvements might help me nudge a scrap further up the leaderboards , but there is n’t a lot of miscellanea in the mix once you ’ve notched several twelve running play .
It reminds me oflast year ’s Dashy Crashyin that esteem , which I really liked at first but did n’t see a lot of compelling foresightful - term appeal … and its unlockable railcar were more interesting than the blue heroes you ’ll score in Sky Dancer . But I ’ll remain affirmative : Dashy Crashy wasrecently overhauledto pump in some impudent excitement , and possibly Sky Dancer will also see some big update to shake up the routine . Let ’s hope so — but even if not , it ’s well worth a try .
