Full Review

Being on the front lines of App releases can make it hard to know what is currently sweeping up the market and as such I was surprised to find out that Temple Run had recently exploded. This is good news for Dedalord, the developer of the 'Fred' series as they explore the endless running option, albeit with far more tricks, traps and areas to master.

The eternally unlucky Fred has found himself cursed to die at the hands of the Grim Reaper and to top things off, in his rush to escape, he has plunged in to a trap-filled dungeon that is no less dangerous. Thankfully you can take control of Fred and help him to avoid these traps by tilting away from them, hopefully collecting as many coins as you can on the way.

These coins serve a double purpose of not only helping to upgrade Fred, providing him with a new set of tricks ranging from double jumps; chicken flaps (think ancillary jumps with less height); wall-running/jumping; and a few extra lives when all else fails. They're not cheap though and while you could theoretically earn everything from hard work, the free game does encourage at least some level of In-App Purchasing to get players past those tighter sections (or to pick up a sexy alternate skin or two).

Initially there are 10 basic levels to complete, with secret and alternate routes to encourage players to explore new abilities and their skill at pulling them off. Once completed there's also an endless mode, complete with a nasty combination of traps that will require all of your abilities to survive. Occasionally you'll unlock a challenge room, which acts as a sort of miniature skill-based puzzle where timing and good observation reigns supreme.

Visually the game is simplistic and this works in the game's favor more often than not as you can clearly see most hazards well before they arrive, with the main challenge being in surviving what's right in front of you while taking in to account where you need to land safely to continue. However the perspective can get the better of Fred as traps become difficult to judge at certain angles, making it incredibly hard to avoid a knock or two if a trap obscures your vision (horizontal beams for example).

While it's hard not to feel as though you're still meant to pay-to-play Running Fred, the sheer amount of content, replayability and fun that comes from deftly avoiding trap after trap is phenomenal considering it's all for free. With more content already on its way, Running Fred is an easy must-have for those who need a real challenge because running in a straight line too pedestrian.

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