Super Arc Light (iOS) Review

By Adam Riley 14.04.2016

Review for Super Arc Light on iOS

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best, but then there are cases where people take advantage of that notion, using it as an excuse to deliver something substandard. Channel 4 recently dipped its toes into the murky waters of the gaming world with Fire Fu on mobile devices, but now it returns with something even better - Super Arc Light. "Simply, yet addictive" is the motto, for all intents and purposes, and it definitely succeeds in that regard…

The concept behind Super Arc Light is so basic that many may overlook it initially, but be warned that one of the most addictive experiences on iOS in recent times will have been missed. After all, think back to the likes of Pong, Pac-Man, and Tetris - classics from years gone by that all worked in the simplest of ways, and proved to be massive time wasters for years to come. Now, that is not to say Super Arc Light will quite reach the same legendary status, but it certainly does have the same level of appeal and that all important 'one more go' factor. It all comes down to that legendary song, "You spin me right round baby, right round like a record baby, right round, round round!"

Screenshot for Super Arc Light on iOS

How can spinning in a circle be fun, though? Well, this is where the "simple, but fun" aspect crops up. Tapping anywhere on the screen results in firepower being emitted from the little spacecraft attached to the circle in the centre of the screen, and once that trigger finger has been lifted and depressed once more, the direction of travel changes, switching from clockwise to anti-clockwise, and vice versa. The purpose is to prevent any incoming enemies from reaching the inner circle. When not touching the screen, the ship spins quickly around, whilst when firing/tapping the screen, it slows down considerably. How to despatch enemies then? Slowly crawl along, firing constantly, or smartly quick-tap to keep changing the rotation and catch the enemies out with quick-fire movements and attacks?

Whatever the choice, action must be taken swiftly because those loitering foes eventually turn red and dive-bomb, ready to penetrate the defences. Some are slower, others make a bee-line for the centre with barely any delay, swarms come in at once from all directions, varying patterns of attack come into play, and so on. All the while, with each new high score or wave cleared, the player's craft gets weapon upgrades to try out in short bursts. Whilst no multiplayer is included, there are leaderboards and the ability to Tweet new highs with the world, making for a pleasant competitive element to keep interest high and add to the already addictive nature.

Screenshot for Super Arc Light on iOS

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

Toilet breaks just got that extra bit longer. Super Arc Light proves that sometimes simple is best, taking a basic concept as its foundation and then carefully adding extra layers on top to both entice fresh-faced gamers, and veterans chasing high scores, alike. Channel 4 has two hits under its belt now, hand-picking the perfect selection of releases for its target audience. The £0.79-priced Super Arc Light will certainly keep most mobile gamers busy until the next title lands.

Developer

No Code

Publisher

Channel 4

Genre

Action

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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