Before we get started with the review I just want to let everyone know that I’ll be doing more app review going forward. I’ll be doing at least one a week or more starting with this one. They will not be limited to just games either.
Dan The man is a new game that came out this month(October 2016). I didn’t think much of it when I downloaded it. I find most touch screen games come down to two categories. Toys and Games. Easily 90% of the App Store and touch screen games in general fall into the toys category. What is a toy game? Something overly simple with little to almost no mechanics made for quick bursts of entertainment. You know when you are waiting in a line or on a short bus ride. Games you can hammer out small amounts of time. Just something to keep you busy. Now I don’t really like these toy games. I get the appeal and I do have some I play but I much rather play game games. The stuff the PC and console guys would consider as games. Games that involve planing, thought and a larger time investment than the length of a short bus ride or a wait in line. Something with evolving mechanics and maybe a larger scale story. Not large scale story mind you, just larger than the toys offer.
Dan The Man is a game. It would fit just fin on a PS4 as it does on touch. It is a side scroller beat them up game that works brilliantly with touch. The attacks animations are smooth and solid and the response time between clicking the button and Dan running the animation is as close to 1 to 1 as I can tell. Simply put, its responsive and feels good. There are fun lively enemies that get stronger and more challenging as you play. You have power ups and health you have to maintain. There is also multiple levels with changing layout and map styles. The most important thing being is that it’s fun.
All that being said the bane of mobile gaming and the reason why the big company’s and other gamers stay away/make fun of mobile is the dreaded cash shop and ads. Every 30 steps or so I’m hit with a video ad for another game. Randomly at check points I would be forced to watch an ad. There are even statues holding TVs that if you hit and break make you watch an ad ending with some kind of weapon or health reward. You can also watch ads for gold and that gold is spent heavily for your needed upgrades and heals. They also sell gold and other things for money. Nothing is pay to win but it sure feels like pay to play.
That is until you pay for premium. It is $4 and there is an option for $8.50 that will give you another playable character. There are also premium bundles that come with varying amounts of gold as well. I feel the $4 regular price is the best bang for you buck here. The game is good but it’s not more than $6 good. If you get the game try it and like it I recommend buying it for $4. Otherwise it’s almost unplayable. I don’t see this as a free to be play. It’s more of a $4 game that has a long annoying demo. It also doesn’t account for the amount of gold you might need. Later on in the game it might get difficult enough that you would want to buy gold. This is not my preferred model for this. I would much rather pay a slightly higher set fee and then pay for future DLC if I want them than this whole run around system all these apps have now. It’s just a way to squeeze a little bit more out of people willing to pay a bit more than others.
All that being said I would rate the game with the $4 purchase a solid 3/5. The game without it would be a 0.5/5. If you like it pay for it because it’s really not worth the annoyance otherwise. If they add coop it would be a solid 4/5 but I don’t really see that happening.
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