Movies are the usual fodder for a mediocre tie-in game, but this time we have something a little bit different. What do you get when you mash together a rock band and an iOS game? Well, I’m not really sure. You could find yourself with an interesting unique game involving musical manipulation. But, more than likely, you’ll end up with another mediocre tie-in game like the dozens that are released every day. But, let’s have a look at Mayday Parade: Face Off and see if it can strike the right chord.

Mayday Parade is a rock band from Florida with a penchant for the macabre. With song titles like “When I Get Home You’re So Dead,” and “Miserable at Best,” it would be expected that any game bearing their name might dabble in a bit of darkness.

The set up for MP: Face Off is that the members of the band are being followed by a group of faceless men. The faceless ones have been menacing them and it is up to the members of Mayday Parade to take down the hoard of evil minions and complete a number of tasks related to the occult.

Face Off
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You can choose between each of the band members who all have their own assortment of weaponry and moves. You’re also allowed to upgrade any of your characters by using points earned in the game. Of course, you’re allowed to fork over some more cash with in-app purchases to beef up your power.

The gameplay is your bog standard sides-scroller. You can move left and right and have a few buttons for ranged and melee attacks. The controls feel unfinished and a bit herky jerky. There seems to be a disconnect between when my fingers hit the touchscreen and the actions within the game. It quickly becomes frustrating when you're smashing the jump button and your character refuses to budge.

Face Off
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Also, strangely, I kept getting a Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts vibe from the title. I can’t help but feel that it was the type of game that the developers were striving for, but missed by a pretty wide margin. The speed, the difficulty, the polish are simply not there. It seems to be a bit of a mess.

The style of the levels are interesting in a dark fantasy cartoon sort of way. They are detailed and each of the types of faceless enemies are distinctive, but somehow it all comes out a bit bland, monotone, and boring. Couple this with the frustrating controls and you have a recipe for annoyance.

Face Off
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This game had the chance to become a really interesting title. It could have been a fictional origin story for the band. It could have had more polished gameplay and graphics. There is so much potential for a game like this to treat fans to an interesting story involving their favorite musicians. But, it seems to have gone off half-cocked and feels like it could have done with a bit more development time and thought.

If you’re a fan of Mayday Parade, then you'll recognize their music throughout the game. But, to be honest, if you like their music, buy and album and leave this in a dark corner of the App Store to become faceless and forgotten.

Store Link: MP: Face Off for iPhone & iPad | By Gamechanger World | Price: $1.99 | Version: 2.0 | 42.3 MB | Rating 9+

4.0 out of 10 arcade sushi rating

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