‘Entwined Challenge’ for iOS and Android game review

Entwined Challenge is the latest game from PlayStation Mobile for iOS and Android. The game is based on Entwined, made for the PlayStation platform.

Entwined Challenge is a simplified version of Entwined, modified and optimized for touchscreen devices. You play as a fish and a bird and control both characters simultaneously in an endless runner sort of environment. The original PlayStation title received mixed reviews from critics. Let’s see how well the mobile version fares.

Gameplay

As mentioned earlier, you play as a fish and a bird in this game. Both of them are moving forward together and you can only move them around in a circle. Both the characters can be moved individually but only in a circle around the center.

As you move forward, you have these shapes flying towards you that you have to fly through. There is an orange shape on the left for the fish and a blue shape on the right for the bird. There is also a third green shape that appears at the top or the bottom and you have to get the two characters together to turn green and go through it together. You have to go through each of these shapes. You can only miss three times and the fourth time the game is over.

Entwined Challenge has five levels, each with increasing level of difficulty. As you reach a particular score in one level, the next one gets unlocked. The pattern, shape, and the speed at which these shapes fly towards you changes with each level and they get faster and more complicated every time.

You get a score for successfully going through all the shapes that fly towards you. You get a score multiplier for every time you go through successfully, which resets if you miss a shape. The multiplier is the key to getting a higher score and unlocking the next level quicker.

As you play, get higher scores and unlock more levels, you also unlock additional items in the game. These include game art, gameplay videos and trailers, and behind the scene stuff.

In terms of gameplay, Entwined Challenge can get very tough. The initial levels are a breeze and you can get high enough score to unlock the next level but later on it becomes extremely tough to get anywhere close to the score required to unlock, let alone go beyond that. I found it easier to play the game on a smartphone or a small tablet as it was difficult to swipe the fingers up and down on a big screen tablet. It’s also a bit difficult to do make subtle motions on the screen, which are necessary in later levels and the game would have probably worked better with the joysticks on a controller as it was originally meant to be played.

Sony has online leaderboard for sharing and comparing scores but instead of using Game Center or Play Games on either platform Sony is instead using Facebook login.

Graphics & Sound

Entwined Challenge looks absolutely stunning and it is easily its best feature. The game is filled with graphically stunning animations and colorful patterns that fill your screen and create a fantastic visual experience.

The game even sounds amazing. The music is excellent and the sound effect of the fish and the bird going through the shapes are precisely in tune with the music and feel like a part of the soundtrack instead of something you are doing.

Verdict

Entwined Challenge is a visually stunning game that also has great music. It almost feels worth buying for that alone. Thankfully, the gameplay is pretty enjoyable too. It might have been a bit too simplistic for consoles but feels perfectly at home on mobile devices. At just $0.99, Entwined Challenge is an easy recommendation.

Rating: 8/10
Pros: Stunning visuals, excellent music, fun and challenging gameplay
Cons: Controls aren’t super precise, uses Facebook login for leaderboards

Download: iOS | Android