Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, iTunes, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Illusion Labs wants you to Sway with them
Illusion Labs is probably best known for their first app, iPint, but have been making splashes since then with interesting apps that make great use of the iPhone's features and touchscreen. I tried out their Touchgrind app, and while it was a fascinating demo of how to combine an in-game physics system with the sensitive touchscreen controls, it was a little too tough for me to use (you have to really be a skateboarder, since the app really is a fingerboard, basically).
But Sway looks much more casual, and still puts the touchscreen and tilt abilities to great use. Like Rolando, it's a cartoony, physics-based platformer, but unlike Rolando, the mechanic here isn't rolling, but swinging. You swing the little characters around, and then use the touchscreen to grab onto various parts of the environment while exploring it.
Very intriguing. Like Touchgrind, the controls might be a little too sophisticated to appeal to all players (it looks tough coordinating which hand is which and exactly when to grab and let go), but we'll have to see how it works out -- if it starts out in an accessible way, Sway might be really impressive. Illusion Labs didn't tell us a price yet (their two other paid games are $5 and $7), but the game is set to hit the App Store soon.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rudy said 9:32PM on 1-19-2009
i think you are being a bit dramatic; touchgrind's controls aren't that bad once you get used to it and i am by no means a skateboarder. i can't even stay balanced on a board.
however it would be interesting to play Sway, the controls do seem to be confusing.
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Andrew said 9:33PM on 1-19-2009
Holy Hell that looks amazing.
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Nathan said 11:13PM on 1-19-2009
I don't think the controls for Sway look that hard – if one hand is
already grabbed on to something, and you want to grab with the other
hand, simply place your *other* finger on the screen; you don't even
have to think about what hand of the lizard (?) is going to grab
something next, you just switch fingers (because, logically, the hand
that is currently grabbing something must be the finger that is
currently on the screen).
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Shawin said 3:17AM on 1-20-2009
Looks nice. It somehow reminds me of Little Big Planet, which I'd pay a lot to get on my iPhone, since I can't afford a PS3 yet. Oi LBP devs, could we have a Tiny Huge Planet for the iPhone, please?
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Think Adrian said 4:45AM on 1-20-2009
Looks nice! I think it'll be a buy!
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mart said 5:56AM on 1-20-2009
It would be nice if you guys could get gamers to cover games.
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mcg said 8:23AM on 1-20-2009
I can see the merit in that, but as someone who doesn't play console or PC games I worry that reviews from an expert gamer might not be as helpful to me.
mentalsticks said 5:59AM on 1-21-2009
it'd be nice if you guys would play a game before covering it. this is an ad. I'd prefer reviews.