Agent, Run! Review

Agent, Run! is 2D endless runner which has gamers playing a James Bond type agent who's attempting to take down an evil professor and his minions. Many side-scrollers get repetitive in the blink of an eye, but thankfully this title has a ton of legs.

Agent, Run! initially made a bad impression by its all too easy swipe mechanic. There are no jump or directional buttons to move your agent around, and I thought simply sliding my finger across the screen would create a mind numbingly simplistic experience.

The reason for the simple control mechanic rests on the manifold objects and animals that block your agent's path to success. There are drones, guard dogs, locked doors, even dangerous tangles of brush that will literally stop you dead in your tracks, so correctly executed, quick trigger actions is the only way you'll survive the mission.

If you want to keep dogs from biting at your heels, you'll swipe your finger and cut a rope that's holding a bone. Once the bone drops to atop the canine, you'll be able to pass the dog sans injury. Sliding your finger across a dead stretch of brush will clear the pathway and keep you running without a hitch. There's a ton of action in Agent, Run!, and time will definitely fly thanks to the title's quicksilver pacing.

Agent, Run OG!

The title's fever pitch atmosphere is also heightened by the multitude of achievements that will earn you stars. Your experience level increases once you collect a certain number of stars, and each level up earns you a certain number of gold coins. A plethora of coins is also available within the game by either smashing crates or just running through a collection of gold that lines your path.

Gold, and not leveling up or collecting stars, is the most important aspect of Agent, Run!, as it will be used to purchase upgraded items and weapons in the shop (gold can also be used to revive your agent during the game or give him a running head start at the beginning of the game). Each of the purchased items serves an integral purpose in advancing within the mission. If you don’t buy a bulletproof helmet, machine gun blasts from the sky will wipe you off the face of the earth.

Agent, Run OG!

Agent, Run! also scores points by adding a few extra dimensions to this well worn genre. Many side scrollers have the protagonists leaping and running without anyone chasing them down, as all of the action is ahead of them. With Agent, Run!, you'll have thugs a few steps away from your hero, and if you fail to throw the guard dogs a bone, you'll also have a canine hunting you down.

The game's audio elements are also on point, as the jazzy score and sound effects (the whoosh sound when you swipe or the crunch of a door bursting open) are perfect fits to the layered gameplay. Even if endless runners have their vanishing point, Agent, Run! is still a highly addictive experience and it's an app I'll continue to play in the coming weeks.

Agent, Run OG!

The only drawback behind Agent, Run! is it's only free to play for the first stage and if you want to unlock the entire game, it costs $2.99. The great news is there's enough action in the first stage to make it a more than worthy download, and the refreshing lack of freemium advertisements also added to my general goodwill for the title.

Agent, Run! is an engaging adventure which may seem way too simplistic for its own good, but the entertainment value ramps up within minutes of gameplay. This is an endless runner that's headed in the right direction, and thankfully a portion of that race is entirely free to play.

This review is based on a code provided by the publisher of Agent, Run! for iOS.

App Store Link: Agent, Run for iPhone and iPad | By Agent, Run OG! I Price: Free | Version: 1.2 | 58.2 MB| Rating 9+