Save Them All iPad Review
It's a tough week to release a running game when you're going up against competition as tough as Polara, and you're going to need a pretty strong gimmick. Fortunately, Save Them All has one in the form of its ticking timer which represents the time left to save the occupants of the world.
How do you save them? Well, you're running through the post-apocalyptic ruins of a city, rescuing the survivors and giving the marauding mutant aliens a good whack with your punching button. In both the fixed story modes and the endless runner section, a global timer ticks down towards midnight. Once the clock strikes 12, all leaderboards are reset, giving you a chance the next day to dominate.
There's a few twists on the typical runner, as gusts of wind can carry you further on your leaps, and you have an energy bar which allows you to double jump higher and for longer, as long as you keep it topped up with the energy orbs that are littered around the landscape. There are also neat upgrades to be unlocked, so you can hoover survivors from spaceships, or slow the action down temporarily with a bullet-time ability.
Interesting gameplay mechanics can't make up for the fact that the controls in Save Them All can be fussy blighters at time though. You'll swear blind you've tapped jump with a healthy chunk of air in the meter, only to fail to catch more height just when you need it. There's also a floaty feel to the controls which can make it hard to judge daring leaps accurately.
If you really want another runner in your life (and, critically, you've already purchased and exhausted Polara), there's no reason you won't get a dollar's worth of fun out of Save Them All. Just don't expect a revolution in the genre that goes behind the time-limit gimmick, and do expect the occasional moment of frustration.
What's Hot: A neat take on the runner craze, with a ticking clock between you and the salvation of humanity.
What's Not: The controls can be a little
3/5
