Thrust Magic Review

There is absolutely nothing magical about Thrust Magic, an increasingly frustrating and ultimately infuriating game that is way too difficult for its own good. It's okay to craft a space adventure with a high level of complexity, especially when the struggle is worth the entire journey. But Thrust Magic, a title that attempts to describe itself as a game of skill that is not for the fainthearted, is simply a waste of time.

Using the left and right side of your iPhone or iPad, send your ship on a hunt for stars. You must collect all of the stars in each mission and land your craft safely after your flight. Although it's a simplistic premise coupled with graphics that intentionally came out of the Dark Ages, Thrust Magic could have been a pleasant enough experience. Navigating your ship, however, is an absolutely maddening task, as the walls that surround the screen will kill you thanks to the gravitational pull. You also have fifteen seconds to complete your mission, a nearly impossible task thanks to the high unpredictability of your thrusters. If the ridiculously short time trial doesn't get you, the lack of fuel will lead to your demise. If you manage to collect the stars, keep your fuel, and manage your time, you will also have to successfully land your ship. Unless you're one of the few who can easily maneuver in Thrust Magic's universe, much of your gameplay will be watching your ship explode time and time again. If you're looking for an easy joyride in space, Thrust Magic is definitely the wrong title to download.

Thrust Magic is obviously aimed at the nuanced gamer who is extremely adept at controlling an iPad or an iPhone, but crashing into walls or having one's luck run out time and time again absolutely ticked me off. A slow, easy build in the difficulty level could have made Thrust Magic a more enjoyable experience, but the game leaves no room for error even on the first level. If you are also expecting a nice little tutorial for Thrust Magic, all you will get is a purple background with a few pointers.

Thrust Magic is easily the most annoying game I've played on my iPad thus far, and although I'm a glass half-full kind of guy, I couldn't find anything redeemable about it. With so many games available to download, Thrust Magic is a title that is completely dead on arrival.

There are a few gamers who will praise the aesthetic pull of Thrust Magic, since the game's intent is to simply frustrate you to the point of mental oblivion. Thrust Magic's devotees will probably latch onto its bold decision to raise the frustration bar to an entirely new level. But as Carly Simon once sang -- I haven't got time for the pain -- and I haven't got time for anything else Thrust Magic has to offer.

App Store Link: Thrust Magic for iPhone & iPad | By Scylla Games | Price: Free | Version: 1.0 | 56.2 MB | Rating 4+