Game Reviews

Spider: Bryce Manor HD

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Spider: Bryce Manor HD

In most situations, the smaller the spider the better.

Spider: Bryce Manor HD is an exception though, with the iPad's larger screen providing the opportunity for bigger graphics and the added gameplay that goes with them.

So even though its new cooperative multiplayer mode isn't a rousing success and control quirks remain, the expanded visual perspective makes this charming platformer a good fit for iPad.

Eight legs and more eyes

Controlling a diminutive spider, the game involves you spinning webs to catch the insects inhabiting the abandoned Bryce Manor.

Each level plays out in a single screen with a set number of bugs to be eaten for a portal to the next stage to appear. Nabbing insects means forcing them into sticky webbing laid out with taps and flicks of the screen.

Moving your spider into place is done by holding down a finger; whether it's to the left or right of your spider determines the direction of movement. Once in position, you tap on your spider to prep a jump, then flick in the desired direction to send your spider through the air with a strand of webbing in tow. Three or more connected strands constitutes a web.

It's much easier on iPad to construct webs compared to the original iPhone game because the camera is pulled far enough back to given you a good view of the environment. Instead of accidentally sending your spider flying halfway across the level due to the inability to easily see what lies ahead, you're given a better perspective of your surroundings. This has positive impact on the experience - the game feels at home on iPad.

Upgrades and updates

This only pertains to the perspective though because on all other counts, Spider: Bryce Manor HD is no better than its iPhone predecessor.

It's still easy to get confused on how to move your spider when it hangs upside-down or clings to a vertical surface since left and right are often switched. As such, you can end up moving in the opposite direction before correcting your course.

An effort has been made to address other complaints such as an option to select individual levels for play once you've completed Adventure mode, but these improvements aren't specific to iPad. They come to Spider: Bryce Manor HD by way of the iPhone version that was updated to include these features.

Spider sidekicks

What is new is a cooperative multiplayer mode. Called Sidekicks, it puts two spiders on the screen to be controlled by you and a buddy in an effort to clear levels of insects. It's a novel idea, but one that doesn't gel with the quiet, contemplative vibe. This is a game best played solo and multiplayer feels like an uncharacteristic embellishment.

Nevertheless, developer Tiger Style deserves commendation for attempting to infuse this iPad release with added value. The enlarged viewing area is the most substantial improvement, held in check by the incidental cooperative mode and control quirks.

As such, this big spider is worth welcoming into your home if you've not yet made its acquaintance, but there's little reason to pay twice as much for the same game if you've already visited Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor.

Spider: Bryce Manor HD

An expanded viewing area makes Spider: Bryce Manor HD easier to play, though it has little else to justify twice the price of the iPhone original
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Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.