You start off with $500, which you soon add to, as with each shopping trip you get a small bonus to spend on all sorts of dodgy gear.
Developers Vector Unit has endowed this game with great, satisfying touch screen controls. You tilt and tap, and I found it was easy to control the boat. The built-in physics in this game are great, and they make the boat behave very realistically and naturally. This extends to the sound, as well, as voices even begin to echo as the boat enters tunnels.
Shine Runner screenshots
The disposable scenery is fun too, as you can demolish piles of chicken crates, rafts and waterside houses with your wake.
The developers put a lot of obvious effort into the graphics, and they are stunning. Quite frankly, the look of this game is a rival to any DS or PSP game, and could even stand up to a PC game. The graphics are so good that the fluidity and smoothness of them is the first thing you’ll notice.
The arty, clean style is allied to a fast frame-rate and good view distance. You can also make use of a wide range of options for adjusting the balance between form and function, especially for older devices. The water has enough movement and texture to give you the feeling of depth and reality without too much turbulence creeping in to make piloting your boat hard work.
To complement the graphics, Vector Unit has gone to town on the audio as well. You have a low, classy drone coming out of your boat, as well as well-sampled, realistic and engaging crashes from your destructive passing.
Once you’ve got used to the controls in the game, you’ll find them second nature and almost intuitive. Getting used to them may be an issue, as you can use either tilt or tap to steer your boat, and this does take some practice, which may well hinder your initial enjoyment of this game.
Nevertheless, Shine Runner is a fun game in its own right. It’s got good sounds and graphics, as well as a cheeky, dark sense of humor that’ll appeal to most grown-ups. If you like Riptide GP and racing games in general, you’ll love Shine Runner. If Android games keep improving like this, they’ll have a shiny future.
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