If there be one important thing that a sea farin’ man has to have, it’s great reflexes. Ya see, if ye act too slowly during a storm or a raid, ye’ll be meeting Davey Jones a lot sooner than the rest o’ the crew. Being quick is the only way ye can survive the perils of the ocean, which be why we work out every morning. O’ course, that isn’t the only way pirates get ready. Sometimes, we have ta be quick o’ the mind as well. So when REAkT, a reflex based app, was released, I made all me crew download it right on the spot.
REAkT Fast
Reflex based games are often thought of as a bit too hard for their own good. However, there’s also the odd reflex game that is too easy. That’s probably one of the main issues with this genre; either the app is too hard or way too easy. REAkT is a rare mix of challenge and fun because it only asks you to do one thing; press a button. The faster you can press that button, the more points you rack up. Of course, the app wouldn’t be fun if the premise was that simple.
You only gain points when you press the green button. The blue buttons serve as negative points, so you can really lose your score just as quick as you gain it. The third button is the trickiest one of them all. The green skull button doesn’t care how many points you have; if you press it, you lose the game. There won’t be any retries or extra lives; you just lose every bit of progress you’ve made. REAkT gets really interesting in this respect because like other reflex games, timing is everything.
Gameplay and Visuals
As you progress through the seemingly repetitive game, button appearance times start to change. At first, you won’t notice the shift, but once you get the hang of it, more blue and skull buttons start showing up. Couple that with a green end game button and you get a really hectic and challenging game.
Lastly, the game also boasts of a very extensive multiplayer feature. There is an online feature which pits you against random people. The addition of a leaderboard is also nice for those who are a bit more competitive. You can play a personal 1 on 1 match on a single phone, but you will have to buy the full game. In terms of visuals, REAkT isn’t a dazzler. Everything about the look is pretty simple and the black backgrounds the buttons pop.
The Verdict
Overall, REAkT is a really unique take on reflex based games. It’s challenging, quirky, well designed, and most of all, well timed. You’ll find yourself playing this app way more than you should, which is a great thing. While you do have to buy the full game for 2 player matches, REAkT doesn’t try and push in store purchases. Pick it up on Google Play or the Apple App store today.
