Game Review: Gate Rusher (Mobile – Free to Play)

The Voodoo formula is instantly recognisable for anyone who has played just a handful of their games. Pick up and play, free to play and simply designed games with some level of addictive-ness but often very little replay value.

They’re one of the most prolific developers out there and often deserve praise for not littering all their games with in-app purchases. Although they always ask a high price to remove ads and often interrupt your gameplay after only a short time with pop-up ads. While seen as a necessary evil as these are free to play games, ads in Voodoo games tend to over-do it and Gate Rusher is no different with one popping up every couple of levels.

This review is for version 1.4.

It’s the reality of the market that a review for this kind of game is preempted by long explanations that don’t involve actual gameplay. This is because there is very little actual gameplay in Gate Rusher. Use you finger to move a ball left and right as it rushes down a half-pipe directing it through rings to reach the goal.

Hit a ring and you’ll lose the level having to watch an ad to continue or restart the level completely. The latter is rarely a problem as each level is only about 20-30 seconds long. The further you make it, the tougher things become as the ball gets faster and the ring placements get more difficult. There is no real variety in the gameplay though, only the colour scheme of the levels.

It does have some addictive quality though and the ease in which you can jump in and jump out means you’ll certainly get some decent mileage from the game. Provided that later levels don’t drive you mad. Yes, later levels brings the odd bit of lag meaning you’ll be failing levels through no fault of your own. Very frustrating.

Some levels also have gems for you to pick up. Should you pick them all up you’ll get an automated boost that takes you through most of the rings but beyond that these gems serve no other purpose. Strange as there is a counter showing how many you have picked up almost as if they could be spent. They can’t though as the only in-app purchase is to remove ads for £2.99. An amount that is par for the course in regards to Voodoo released games but is still a joke considering the total lack of depth to Gate Rusher.