Posts tagged swerve runner

In my last blog post about Swerve Runner I said that I’d be unlikely to go back before there was an update. That was Friday morning. On Friday evening, I did go back, and had a good time. On Saturday, there was an update. This update added an “Insanity” mode, which is the same as the regular game, but much, much faster.

I'll be dead in less than a second.

It’s a lot harder, obviously, but it’s not impossible and it’s huge amounts of fun. Okay, yes, sometimes you’re moving so fast that death is unavoidable, but the sheer thrill of travelling so quickly outweighs other concerns. I do believe I laughed with a mixture of disbelief and delight as I played, which is always a good sign.

The update also put a cap on the number of lives you can collect, which makes even the regular speeds more tense. All in all, a very good update to a very good game.

Another in my collection of “games I’ve bought because they’re 59p and I’m awake far too early and don’t want to get up.” Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. Swerve Runner is a qualified run.

You pilot a little hovercraft chap over some randomly-generated, infinite countryside, trying to avoid obstacles and reach beacons. Once you’ve reached all the beacons you can carry on driving around or go on to the next level, which has different obstacles.

It’s all rather impressive. There’s a fair bit of pop up, but it runs very smoothly and seeing huge meteors crash into the ground as you zip by at 200 metres a second is something you should probably experience at least once.

Don't worry about the lake, you can glide over it.

I’d like some meatier physics – the ride’s a bit too smooth for my liking – but the controls are very sensitive while still leaving you in absolute control. There are some instant deaths when a meteor drops on your head without you ever seeing it, but the game is generous enough with extra lives that it’s really not a problem. In fact, it’s probably too easy – but in the Settings menu the default difficulty seems to be set at 30%, so that can be changed.

If you want something that looks similar but is a proper racing game, there’s Ground Effect. If you want something bouncier there’s the wonderful 4×4 Jam. Swerve Runner (and, yes, I do keep wanting to call it Swerve Driver) does its own thing and does it well. Cresting a hill and then zooming through an empty city while meteors rain down is an undeniably atmospheric experience.

It’s 59p right now and it’s not something I’m going to force you to buy, but it’s an impressive and interesting little indie game and one that, I suspect, will be unjustly ignored. I doubt I’ll play it much, but every now and again I’ll remember it with great fondness. (That said, the “quick go” I had this morning after I bought it lasted for over half an hour without me noticing.)

Oh, before I forget, one more thing – there doesn’t seem to be any sound. Doesn’t bother me, but I don’t want you to be shocked by the silence if you pick this up.