Ever since Digby Forever (Free) was announced almost a month ago, I’ve been dying to try out 3 Sprocket’s interesting modern take on the nostalgic Mr. Driller and Dig Dug type games. However, despite these sentimental and evocative links to my youth, Digby Forever has impressed me most with the amount of character, charm and consideration that appears to have gone into every element of the game. With some truly stunning prerelease material, from the game’s own animated short giving a glimpse of the explosive action ahead, to the attempts to give each enemy its own humorous backstory, it’s evident that Digby Forever has been a labor of love for the developers. Today, Digby Forever has finally launched on the App Store, and if my first impressions are anything to go by, it seems 3 Sprockets have crafted yet another essential App Store hit on their hands.
At first glance, Digby Forever may not seem particularly complex – while there are an abundance of obstacles and opponents attempting to cut your run short, the core mechanics start and end with the eponymous protagonist digging as deep as they can into the ground. However, below the surface (pun not intended), there is a lot going on in the catacombs that Digby must navigate. Apart from merely having their own visual personalities, each creature moves and acts in different ways, and as you dig deeper you will encounter various formations of enemies that necessitate fast reactions and clever manoeuvrability to clear. Bombs littered around the caves can be used as ways to clear upcoming obstacles rather than simply be a hindrance, and the occasional ‘cave in warnings’ force Digby to dodge descending stalactites that pierce everything in their path.
These multiple contrasting hurdles in Digby’s path create a really chaotic and exhilarating high score chasing experience, and while occasionally the explosions and particle effects were overwhelming, they just added to the mayhem unfolding on my iPhone. With collectible cards that offer special skills and a significant degree of customisation, as well as some rather generous and player-friendly free-to-play mechanics, Digby Forever is just a really well done game, and it’s hard not to dig (I’m so sorry) what 3 Sprockets have accomplished in their latest release. Download Digby Forever now on the App Store, be sure to let us know what you think on our forum thread.
