league-of-evil-3_647630739_10For those wanting a solid twitch-platformer on their mobile device, the League of Evil games have been the go-to choice for a while, and rightly so. Thus, the mono-sadistic side of me was delighted to learn that League of Evil was getting a third iteration. The rational side interrupted with a good question, though: “Is the third game just a quick money printer, or an honest, improved third release?” My evil side then beat my rational side to a pulp and scooped up League of Evil 3.

For those totally unfamiliar, League of Evil 3 is the three-quel in the League of Evil series, a fast-paced platformer about a violent cyborg, who leads a rampage on the (evil) League of Evil, which involves him jumping, punching, and wall sliding throughout various obstacle and enemy-filled micro-levels. This is not an easy task, since the levels are designed to prevent you from seeing their end. The game’s pace prevents those weak of heart from entering; each level can be just as much a race as it can be an obstacle course. There are no lives, either, so death is not soft. More likely than not, this game will lead the easily frustrated into bouts of fury. This is nothing new for LoE, but those easily angered have been warned anyway.

league-of-evil-3_647630739_07The basic speed-platforming gameplay has not changed a cent from the previous LoE’s, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In the past, the frantic level leaping provided action, fun, and addiction for those aspiring to beat their time on each level, and LoE 3 is no different. The controls remain very well implemented, although they still suffer from their inherit digital nature (lots of games suffer in that way too, so I can’t knock it too much). A custom control option will probably get your fingers situated comfortably if the default control scheme doesn’t work for you. Oh yeah, and the leaderboards are still there, which is nice, because this is one game where leaderboards feel like a good addition rather than padding.

It’s true that LoE3 is good because it sticks to the familiar. But it’s bad because…it really is no different from the previous games. There’s no new mechanics, (I hardly consider the small addition of a video editor and uploader a notable addition), or new game design. Heck, the levels feel as though they could have just as easily been patched as an update into LoE2. Sure, the game is fun. But it’s the same fun players have already had, twice. Even the best games can get monotonous if they just maintain the status quo, and LoE3 is guilty in that respect.

Thankfully, LoE3 is just the right length to prevent such monotony from really sinking in. Some might call it too short, but in this case, I think “shorter” is better than “drawn-out”.

league-of-evil-3_647630739_08I would like to point out, before I wrap up, that I encountered several crashes throughout my playtime (on a 5th Gen iPod Touch), more than likely occurring because I used the “Auto-retry” option. I can’t really excuse crashing bugs in a series’ third outing, though, so LoE3 gets another mark against it.

In Conclusion

After my rational self recovered from the initial assault, it again asked “Is the third outing just a money printer for the developers?” Unfortunately, I have to concede: it is. I have a hard time calling more levels that could have been used in an Update for LoE2 and a lackluster “video replay” feature “innovative”. Sure, League of Evil fans will pick it up. Just don’t expect something new.