I love it when app developers try something new. Dan Counsell from Realmac Software has just released a game called Almost Impossible!, available now for iPhone, iPad & Mac, and coming to the new Apple TV very soon. I’ve been playing with the iOS version of the last few days and have quite enjoyed it.
Almost Impossible! is a precision platforming game that has really difficult levels. Unlike other similar games, you don’t get a level select, but instead you cross checkpoints in between levels that are all connected. I’ve beaten the game twice so far and I got Super Meat Boy frustration vibes in many levels. That’s a great thing. Dan has nailed it with an elegant look, catchy chiptune music, and addictive gameplay.
You control a bouncing ball by tapping the left or right side of the screen and traverse through various obstacles that are placed to kill you. As levels progress, more mechanics are thrown in with each level. One thing I noticed about the level design is that there is no real difficulty curve or consistency with mechanics. Things feel a little disjointed.
When you die, there’s a nice animation of the ball exploding into little squares and the physics engine makes things look really nice. I love the dynamic shadows on the blocks when the ball explodes relative to the light source in each area. I wish this happened quicker though. When I’m trying to get through an annoying section, seeing a long animation for dying gets tiring really quickly. That’s my only complaint really.
Almost Impossible! is a lot of fun to play. I hope Dan adds some more levels into it later, because I need more of this soon. Almost Impossible! is available on iOS for $1.99 and on OS X for $3.99. With the App Store for the new Apple TV launching in a few days, you’ll be able to play the game on your TV as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtSGcPZLSA4