To-Fu 2 Review

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

To-Fu 2 Review

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To-Fu 2 Review

By Lisa Caplan on September 14th, 2011
Our Rating:

:: STRETCHES THE THEME
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

The brave bean curd is back with 100 new levels of Chi chasing puzzling fun.

Developer: Hot Gen LTD

Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.0
Device Reviewed On: iPad 2

Graphics / Sound Rating: 4.15 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 3.65 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.73 out of 5 stars

The curd returns in 100 new levels of spike-avoiding, tofu-stretching puzzles. Remember the tofu Ninja who starred in To-Fu: The Trials of Chi? Well he's back and still trying to make his way into the pink fortune-kitty's face in this new sequel.

The little guy is nothing if not gummy and the goal is to fling him from one flat wooden surface to the next, collecting Chi energy, towards the exit – a neon-pink fortune cookie shaped like a sultry female Asian Cheshire cat – while avoiding any number of soy-destroying obstacles.

It takes several flings to get him to the fortune kitty, and it’s all about aim. The levels get increasingly difficult with metal corners to ping off of, and more daunting dangers to avoid, but they all tend to look similar – like carved wooden light-filled mazes.

New to the sequel is a special super-ping power. If a player holds To Fu in a stretch for a few seconds he becomes turbo charged and can bound through the level and break through smaller wooden planks that block his path.

The game looks a lot like the first, which is a good thing – it's gorgeous. And the soundtrack sounds like what you might hear playing in the background of a high-end sushi bar. It's an aesthetically pleasing package. And the block of goo is undeniably charming. This is a solid sequel, if not an inspired one, but it feels more like a big update than a new game.

I have one big problem with both the original and To-Fu 2. There is no way see the whole playing field while tossing the curd. It's easy to scroll around and get the lay of the land, but most of the tofu flinging is done either blindly, by memory, or by trial and error.

There is also one addition to the game that is off-putting. There are several outfits available to dress up To Fu available exclusively through in-app purchase. Since they add nothing to gameplay, and there is no way to earn them in-game, charging for them makes me feel as if monetization was put over innovation in To Fu 2.

There is no question fans of the first will welcome these new levels and appreciate the super-charged little To Fu. Those looking for a new casual physics puzzler should definitely check this out, too. Just don't expect any surprises and be sure to start in a Zen space before playing – success requires a lot of patience.