Overview
Gnomes are a lot of things to a lot of people; some people find them magical while other thing they’re somewhat demonic. While I fall into the latter category when I saw a game called Paper Glider vs. Gnomes I had to give it a go. Especially considering the “vs.” in the title which lets me know I’ll get to take out a few of the evil little yard statues along the way.
Paper Glider vs. Gnomes takes a page from Angry Birds in the gameplay department as you’ll take control of paper gliders and launch them towards the smirking gnomes. The means of delivery is a bit different as you’ll flick/launch your glider at the gnomes instead of the usual slingshot action. The gnomes are setup in different areas, covered up and generally obscured from a clean shot; luckily for us our paper gliders come equipped with bombs. The bombs will demolish certain materials, but other materials like the steel girders are nigh indestructible. There are a few other implements you can use to get to the gnomes though, like TNT rockets, hammer-mills, skateboards and vortexes just to name a few.
There are 63 levels in Paper Glider vs. Gnomes set across 3 different themed zones that take you from the Garden to the City. The game uses OpenFeint to track your scores and achievements as well, so if you’re into achievements ya’ got them. There is a store dubbed the “Hot Shop” that sells a few cool items like the detonator and glider pack; the bad side of that is the prices are through the roof as you’ll quickly see when you go to buy something. The game is free but is ad-supported; the ads are for the company’s other games but can be removed if you purchase something.
Verdict
I like the premise of the game and flicking the gliders is different than the usual slingshot action you see in a game like this. That being said, the physics seemed a little off at times and the in-app purchases really put a damper on things. You don’t have to buy them to finish the game, but if you’re going to ask 16 bucks to have the levels unlocked and throw in some extras you better bring a lot more to the table than what they currently offer. It’s not a terrible game, but the controls need some work and the pricing should be adjusted as you’re just going to irritate gamers with prices like that. If you want to give it a go, you can find Neon Play’s Paper Glider vs. Gnomes in the Android market for free.