Robot Unicorn Attack 2, the sequel to the only endless runner worth caring about on the App Store, is releasing tonight across iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Chew on that for a second. A follow-up to Adult Swim’s bizarre, colorful, and electric Robot Unicorn Attack ($0.99) is barreling down the pipes, coming to your FingerPad device of choice in just a handful of hours. Take a whiff. Can you smell that? It’s the sweet, sweet stench of anticipation. And rainbows. And tears.
The star-ploughing fundamentals remain the same. You, as a fearless guider of rainbow-tailed destruction, are tasked with double-jumping and double-dashing as far as you can over the course of three separate “wishes" or runs. At the end, your overall score is tallied. It’s a simple formula, but it works well. In fact, I’d argue the beauty of the first game was in its simplicity and ridiculousness, both of which see a return in Robot Unicorn Attack 2.
This one does depart in a few key areas. Most likely, folks are probably going to latch onto the new unicorn customization component and the systems that revolve around it. As you run, you collect metallic tears. With these, you can buy pieces of equipment or parts for your robotic unicorn. Want a flaming mane? Sure, it’s in there. How about a new sternum? Yup, you can grab that, too.
The new parts are delightfully insane and they go a long way in making you feel a connection with your steed. Also, they’re not just cosmetic — each modifies or improves your dashing, jumping or whatever.
Most of these new parts are level-gated, which is another thing that’s new. As you run and pick up tears, you can also complete challenges for stars. Get enough stars and you level up, giving you access to bigger, iller, and better stuff to buy in the in-game store. Look around in these images and you’ll see what I mean.
This is the part where I drop the model bomb, by the way. If you haven’t already guessed, Robot Unicorn Attack 2 is free-to-play. You can buy tears straight-up or grab a $4.99 doubler, if that’s the route you prefer in these kinds of games. For what it’s worth, none of us over here are feeling like this model is gross.
Another thing: Always by the sensational Erasure is not the default track. Rather, Module’s Land of Rainbows is. You can buy Always from the store, however, for a buck. We’re guessing this has more to do with the Music Industry being Crazy than anything else. Oddly, I’m preferring Land of Rainbows as the lead song. It’s synth-y and poppy but not as indulgent as Always. It also fits with the art direction better.
When you grab this tonight — and you’re going to, right? — you’ll notice quite a few other tweaks and changes that we’ve glossed over so far. For one, the art in the backgrounds is much improved. For another, you can now flutter around on wings, if you’ve grabbed a pair from the in-game store. Our favorite new thing outside of the customization stuff is the online play. When you get to Rank 7, you can join either Team Inferno or Team Rainbow and compete collectively in asynchronous high score battles for prizes. Today’s, for instance, has teams seeing who can destroy the most stars. There are community and daily challenges, too.
There’s a lot to dig about Robot Unicorn Attack 2. The new customization options are rad and the levels are radder. And while there’s plenty to be happy about with the new stuff in this version of the game, it’s important to note that the old stuff, the core of the running experience, is just as good, too.
Robot Unicorn Attack 2 should be available on the US App Store at 11:00 PM Eastern, or potentially much earlier if you’re in a region east of the USA. To be alerted when the game is available, open this story in the TouchArcade App (Free) and add it to your watch list. A little after 11:00 PM tonight you’ll get a push alert with the download link.
International App Store Link: Robot Unicorn Attack 2, Free
