The original Gravity Guy ($0.99) popularized the whole “gravity flipping" mechanic on mobile back in 2010, but the long-awaited sequel does away with that entirely in favor of a more traditional – though still innovative – endless runner formula. Gravity Guy 2 won’t have you frantically switching between running on the ground or the ceiling in order to get through its puzzle-like levels, as in the original.
Instead the Guy in Gravity Guy is running across rooftops of varying size and height, and it’s your job to literally “raise the roof" of each one to the right level in order to get Guy safely across each rooftop gap, collect coins and avoid hazards. Guy can also do a short jump either from the ground or in mid-air, and skilled use of both the roof raising and the jumping will be needed to be successful.
It’s interesting because aside from the ability to jump you have no direct control over Guy, and instead you’re manipulating the environment around him to do what you need to do. A quick roof raise at just the right moment will bop Guy into the air, and after a bit of practice you feel like you’re conducting an orchestra with all the fast-paced roof raising and jumping. It’s one of those things that’s just subtly different enough from a typical runner that makes Gravity Guy 2 feel fresh.
However, just because it’s got some neat new mechanics to master, it’s still pretty puzzling that Gravity Guy 2 ditches the gravity flipping entirely. It makes this feel less like a sequel and more like it could have just been any other game. I would have enjoyed seeing something more closely tied to the original game but just taken to the next level, as that’s usually what constitutes a good sequel. Then again, it is refreshing to see a developer take a risk with a popular IP in an effort to do something different. A double-edged sword, I guess.
Anyway, Gravity Guy 2 is definitely a good game, different as it may be. I’m already hooked on playing and replaying run after run just trying to get a little bit further, or unlock another meta-goal. There are also a bunch of unlockable characters and special items to use, typical of pretty much any other runner game. So far my coin-earning has felt pretty generous too, so it doesn’t feel too forced towards making you hit up the IAP.
As long as you don’t have your heart on the gravity flipping of the first game, Gravity Guy 2 seems like a solid title to check out when it launches later tonight. As I know you know by now, add it to your TouchArcade (Free) Watch List to be alerted of its release and check out the forums for even more on the game from the community.
International App Store Link: Gravity Guy 2, $0.99 (Universal)
