Grindcore Review
Post-hardcore rock fans who love skateboarding, it's your lucky day. The rock band Senses Fail has an iOS game called Grindcore, created by Gamechanger World. They might be trying to change the world of gaming through the power of rock, but is it for better or worse?
Grindcore places the band members of Senses Fail -- Buddy, Matt, Dan, and Zach -- on skateboards, letting them loose on the town, endless runner style, to grind and shred as long as the player can keep them going. Similar to Time Surfer, you skate up and down hills trying to collect coins and put as many meters behind you before you run out of “breath.” Gain momentum by pushing on the “Down” button when on a downward slope, then let off of it at the bottom to ramp upwards and beyond off the up side.
While it follows the same addictive gameplay of motivating you to try to beat your best score, it’s not universally appealing. It’s all about the band, and if you aren’t a fan there’s little reason to play. Numerous achievements are listed to give some purpose outside of the goal of just beating your high score, and accomplishing these achievements unlock rewards! That’s a good thing, right? Well, you may or may not enjoy these rewards since they are all centered on Senses Fail. The achievements can unlock two more songs from the band, up to 20 facts, five wallpapers, and eight band pictures. Only hardcore fans benefit from those kinds of rewards. Spoiler alert: Did you know that Dan Trapp’s favorite food is Mexican, and that he dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to tour in the band. Gasp! This is but one of the many kinds of amazing facts you can unlock.
Grindcore goes through all the motions of a regular game, but it lacks any uniqueness, quality control, or heart behind it. The graphics are mediocre at best, and though there are different worlds to skate through, you always start in world one. Even if you make it to the galaxy far, far away you will still start back in world one after you’re out of breath, meaning you will be looking at world one's bleak background a LOT, and depending on how good you are, you may never see that galaxy far, far away.
Players have some customization options…if you want to buy them. Boosts, ramps, wheels, and different tricks which let you earn more coins, are all available for purchase. A rather expensive purchase compared to the amount of in game coins earned. You pay for the game upfront, and then they have the gall to start you off with only one band member available and everything else has to be purchased. Each additional member takes 30,000 coins to unlock. I hope Zack is your favorite, because you are going to be stuck with him for a long ass time, or put forth the real life dough.
Essentially, if you are a super fan of Senses Fail, Grindcore might be worth it to you. You can learn so much more about the members and get extra posters/wallpapers. However, if you're just looking for some fun, steer clear of Grindcore. The rewards will not interest you, the gameplay’s not that fun, and it’s kind of glitchy.
App Store Link: Grindcore for iPhone & iPad | By Gamechanger World | Price: $0.99 | Version: 1.01 | 44.5 MB | Rating 4+