Sometimes, the most addicting apps are the simplest.
Today’s review of Laser Dodger in the Windows Store, truly adopts that motto and runs with it. This arcade style game comes in at a super small 5.8MB when downloaded and is completely free for all to play. There is no reason that you should not at least give it a go and dodge some face-melting lasers.
There are three game modes within Laser Dodger including Classic Mode, Laser Blitz, and Mixed Mayhem. Each mode provides a different challenge for both mouse and touch screen casual gamers. We found it easier and more precise to play with a mouse, but it is quite obvious that the game was developed primarily for touch (maybe just mouse bias from an ex-PC gamer).
The Classic Mode allows you to take control of an avatar that closely resembles something from the world of Tron. As laser beams of various colors begin to swarm around your position, you must move your avatar to dodge them. Game play begins simple with only one beam, but the number of beams begin to increase as you continue on, not to mention the speed.
The Laser Blitz mode is very reticent of a 1980’s arcade game. Instead of dodging lasers shot from walls, you must maneuver your avatar to avoid shots from enemy avatars, and consume their enemy disks. Essentially, this mode can be broken down into the notion of not getting shot. As you “consume” enemy avatars, or “enemy disks” as the game likes to call them, you continue to level up under increasingly difficult situations.
Lastly, the Mixed Mayhem model is a combination of both the Classic Mode and the Laser Blitz Mode. Your job is to dodge the continuously increasing number of lasers, while also battling against the enemy avatars. If you are looking for an extremely fast passed mode, this one is for you.
The graphics, designed by Stonegate Games, are said to be “inspired by the great esthetic of Tron and Geometry Wars”, which is without a doubt noticeable. The moment we opened the game for the first time, we felt immersed in a Tron style environment. In fact, even the game’s logo seems to be an exact copy of the font from the Tron series.
One thing that does strike us as a bit odd is that there is no soundtrack or any sound effects within the game itself. Because of this, we recommend heading to Xbox Music and checking out the official Tron soundtrack by Daft Punk; its electronic beats pair with the game perfectly.
The game is currently free from the Windows Store and is available on both Windows 8 and Windows RT platforms. A notice in the game’s description says that “Laser Dodger will only be marked as free for the first week, so get it now while it’s available!”, but as long as this game has been out a dime has not been charged. It is possible that after posting this review the developer will end the deal – so go get it now by clicking here.
Have you played Laser Dodger before - what is your high score?
