Endless Road Review

It's pretty easy to figure out Endless Road's story just by glancing at the above title screen - drive as fast as you can on an infinite road, a race that will only end when a red line catches up to your vehicle. The red line may signify the crumbling road behind you or it just may actually symbolize nothing at all. However you read into the streamlined material, just don't let that red line touch your wheels. With a streamlined, inspired visual look and a plethora of upgrades and achievements down the pike, Endless Road is another winning title from Chillingo.

The game starts off sans a tutorial, and since the road is always unfolding before your eyes, it's really easy to learn the controls. To move left, touch the left device of your screen, and to move right, touch the right portion of your device. To keep the vehicle on the road, avoid crashing into other cars at almost all costs and drive over red chevrons, which help speed up your ride, as much as possible. Power ups, which have a multitude of functions, will also keep you ahead of the dreaded red line.

Gold coins are also in abundance during your drive, and all that extra currency pays for various upgrades on your power ups. Purchasing upgrades will also determine what type of driver you want to be just to get ahead. Will you bomb all the other cars around you to clear your path, or is coughing up the coins for lightning speed the better option? A slow motion upgrade is my personal favorite, since it's the perfect way to navigate around several vehicles without any quick trigger actions you'll regret.

Unfortunately, Endless Road is not a ride without some flaws. After I purchase upgrades in the "garage" section, the exit tab should bring me back to the home screen, but it automatically exits the game altogether. While clicking back to the game icon on your device takes only a second, it's still irritating. If you want to purchase another car, the Formula One is the cheapest purchase at 7000 coins. Since you may have just several hundred coins at your disposal thanks to the necessary upgrades, you'll have to play your day away just to purchase the car. For an extra $0.99, you can purchase 2,000 coins, but for $8.99, you'll receive 150,000 coins. I don't mind the obvious money grab, but when upgrading to your next vehicle will cost you either a chunk of your time or cash right from the get go, it does leave a slightly sour taste. Giving gamers the options of purchasing a souped up beater for several hundred coins would have made me much happier.

If this game wasn't so pretty to look at and play, I'd be even more annoyed. With its overhead perspective and its clean, polished visual design, my eyes were never bored. Add a hypnotic and subtle soundtrack to the mix, and the effect is mesmeric.

By offering up subtle and concentrated game play, Endless Road is more than a by-the-numbers racing game. With a selection of solid upgrades coupled with its sleek and atmospheric environment, it's a title that is worth the $0.99 price tag. The Formula One car, however, will just have to wait.

App Store Link: Endless Road for iPhone & iPad | By Chillingo Ltd | Price: $0.99 | Version: 1.0.2 | 21.8 MB | Rating 4+