Robot Unicorn Attack: Evolution - Distance-based fun with the return of the horned automaton
Introduction
The mythical creature that appears to be powered by Duracell batteries and a desire to attack is back to well, its purpose is still to attack, but no one quite knows what/who the target is, and this time it seems fully aware of the Darwinian theory of evolution and has taken it a little too literally: now the unicorn regularly makes a point of evolving regularly whilst he runs. This is the revolutionary change this series has been waiting for, and it couldn’t be more of a fitting addition to the Robot Unicorn series. With endless terrain to conquer and a return to the classic Erasure backing track that made the original such a hit of utter absurdity, Robot Unicorn Attack: There’s no question about whether Robot Unicorn Attack: Evolution is going to entertain you; it’s just a matter of time before it creeps into your day.
Evolve or Die
In the initial stages of the game, you will find yourself having to do a double take to even see the difference between this title and the first Robot Unicorn since the soothing tones of Erasure still play over gameplay in which you guide your robotic creature of folklore across rapidly-approaching pieces of terrain. The main aim is simply to survive as long as possible without smashing into the terrain or the star-shaped objects which intermittently block your safe passage through infinitely-scrolling level. Like the first game, you have the ability to jump using ‘Z’, double jump by pushing ‘Z’ twice in quick succession, and a ‘rainbow dash’ is performed by pressing ‘X’ allowing you to smash through the star-shaped objects and continue on your way. None of this smacks of revolution so far, or even gradual evolution beyond the change of game name. It soon becomes apparent, however, that change is afoot after smashing through 4 star-shaped obstacles and witnessing the transformation of the unicorn into a full-blown panda, jungle and all.
Natural Selection
After the incremental changes in the Robot Unicorn games so far, the ability to evolve after smashing through a sufficient number of barriers is more revolution than evolution, and I welcome it with open arms/hooves/paws/talons/other extremities. That’s right, your unicorn regularly evolves into another animal form for every 4 or so obstacles you smash in to, with even the scenery changing according to which animal form you take: your unicorn has the familiar purple land of bubble-gum madness, whereas the scenery when you evolve into the panda is jungle-inspired, and the wolf enjoys a snow-drenched background. The process of repeatedly involving gives you a goal to work towards and provides a much-needed change of scenery that the series was crying out for. The difficulty increases with each evolution, making it rather difficult to reach the later stages which involve playing as a sabretooth tiger and even a dragon.
Challenge Accepted
To maintain your freshly-evolved form, you must continue to keep your rock-smashing momentum up lest you will be demoted back to your previous form. The emphasis here on consistently playing well is a challenge that hasn’t been faced before in the Robot Unicorn series, though I cannot tell whether the sudden decrease in momentum is a deliberate feature that adds further difficulty to the game by forcing you to adjust to the new speed, or whether this is an accidental blunder on the part of the developers that has slipped through the cracks. Either way, watch out for this change in speed, since it’ll catch you out when you’re on a roll and have you weeping at being demoted right back down to regular robot unicorn status.
A Creationist’s Nightmare
While the facebook version of the game offers rewards and extras such as collecting fairy dust - the robot unicorn equivalent of in-game currency – to spend on various power-ups such as horns to allow you to blast through the stars, or jump enhancements to give you an extra leap to save you from an otherwise certain fall to death and a return back to your initial unicorn form. Robot Unicorn Attack: Evolution has implemented a significant change to the gameplay that previous sequels didn’t even come close to offering. The ‘what next’ mentality of the evolutionary process adds another suspenseful and addictive nature to the game, and the constant changes of scenery provide further variation to the experience. The rapid transformation and aesthetic variation coupled with sticking to a simple and successful formula makes Robot Unicorn Attack: Evolution the best title yet in this outrageous series of games.
85/100