Illusion Labs released Sway [App Store] to the App Store yesterday. The $4.99 game offers some of the most innovative multi-touch controls for an iPhone game that we’ve seen.
The object of the game is to rescue your friends in the world of Sway by swinging your way through levels by collecting stars and keys to unlock additional Sway friends that you can also use. Each character seems to have some distinct characteristics (speed, strength, arm length) which keep things interesting.
The controls are unique and do require some training. When you first start the game, you are going to fall… a lot. Don’t worry, that’s normal (I think). There’s a bit of a pace that you need to capture to properly sway. Illusion Labs does a good job with this instructional video which teaches you the basics.
I think it’s not an exaggeration to say the entire game revolves around the controls. The levels are essentially progressively harder obstacle courses for you to navigate. While this is likely also true for most any platformer, this fact was somehow more apparent in Sway. What this means is that if you love the controls, then you’ll love this game. And that’s not a necessarily a bad thing, since there are many who do love them.
The 15 included levels, however, can go by rather quickly, and I do wish the gameplay were better “paced". There is no penalty for falling/dying. You simply restart at your last checkpoint, having lost nothing except a little time. While this may mean you get a bronze instead of gold medal, all unlockables can be achieved through brute repetition rather than (necessarily) improving your skills. This also means you can make it through the earlier levels well before your skills might be “ready" for the later levels.
Still, there’s a lot to love about Sway. The graphics, music and style are wonderful. The entire package is just very well put together, and you will find yourself replaying earlier levels once you get the hang of the controls. Each level has Bronze, Silver, and Gold achievements based on how many stars can be collected within a certain amount of time. The unlockable characters also add a reason to keep playing.
This gameplay video shows one of the middle levels and one of the later levels:
[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]
Despite our criticisms about gameplay pacing, the overall Sway experience is probably one of the most polished and uniquely “iPhone" experiences available in the App Store, and it would be hard not to recommend on that basis alone.
App Store Link: Sway, $4.99
Ouch! Stop brushing that dog's nose and eyes!
Looks pretty good! My girlfriend will love this game ^_^
lol, kinda cute, but it looks boring.
Look cute, but it's strikingly similar to the "Nintendogs" game, right down to the scrubbing animation. Hmm.
I agree with Yaril, my girlfriend will definitely pick this up for her iPhone.
i want!! look good!!!!!!!! and iam a man
Anyone think this looks.... not too good?
I love the idea but I wish it had more realistic graphics.... And you just bathe the dog in the middle of the room?? Eh... I don't think I'll be picking this one up.
Nice graphics and all but looks like it will get boring real quick.
Nintendogs rip-off!! The dog looks ugly and.. cmon, who's gonna bathe a dog in the living room??
I bet arn wouldn't post it if this is not from ng:moco.
This game is NOT a rip-off Nintendogs. Its vice versa.
"Touch Pets Dogs, developed by Andrew Stern, one of the original creators of Virtual Babyz, Dogz and Catz."
Dogz was THE first virtual pet game ever. So Nintendogs is a Rip-off of Dogz.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...
"Petz (Dogz and Catz) is a series of games dating back to 1995, in which the player can adopt, raise, care for and breed their own virtual pets. Petz were the world's first virtual pets, first released before Tamagotchi."
Please... know your gaming history before spouting crap like "who's a rip-off of who".....
This looks SO CUTE! Def better than nintendogs from the way it looks. I'm absolutely getting this!
Another great game from ngmoco:) !
Add walking the dog around at a park and fetch, and be able to hose your dog down with water! And a lot of dogs! Pitbulls to chiwawas! To poodles, to boxers! Than it's a must buy game!!
Right now it looks kinda boring! Nothing new, nothing nentendo dogs haven't done!
Is it Spring yet?
when can i buy it? it looks so cool
HEY WHEN CAN I BUY IT. IT LOOKS SO COOL
its a free app for the iphone, but you have to pay for dog food.
its really good, love it. and the dogs are so cute :D
i love it but sometimes it can be boring!!!
Reallyfun. the dogs can fall in love! just can the dogs have puppies?
I love this game im addicted it. They have cats, dogs, and fish