Epic Eric

Epic Eric isn't all that epic really. It does feature a character called Eric though, so at least half of the title is true.

It's a pleasant enough little one-touch platformer that sees you swinging around a fantasy kingdom to rescue your beloved.

There's a slight twist though, because you can swap between Eric and Erica and play as a pink-dress clad princess who rescues a knight from a tower.

But there's no discernible change to the gameplay, and the whole thing feels a tad gimmicky.

The platforming itself involves cogs. A selection of them are positioned around the level and it's up to you to tap on the screen to leap between them.

Obviously when you're hanging on to one of the cogs you're spinning, so you need to time your taps just right or you'll plunge to the ground and have to start again.

This being a smartphone game, there are three stars to collect on each of the levels. You can complete a challenge without picking up any stars, but you need them to open up later levels, so it's a good idea to grab them.

Later on you'll have to contend with bounce pads, gates, slippy surfaces, and cogs that only move because of your momentum.

Levels are never particularly tricky, but grabbing all three stars can take some practice. The controls are perfectly capable of handling the mid-paced leaps, and while there's nothing remarkable about the game, it bounces along at a nice tempo.

Epic Eric sort of epitomises iOS platforming. It's cheap and cheerful, built around a reasonably solid central concept, and doesn't deviate too far from its couple of ideas.

It's fun without being particularly fashionable, and while it rarely bursts with energy, there's enough here so that you won't begrudge the couple of hours you'll spend in its company.