App Army Assemble: Lost Socks - Hole'y hell

Each week, we ask members of our App Army for their impressions of the latest releases on mobile.

This week we're looking at Lost Socks: Naughty Brothers - a hardcore platformer built for mobile - which is now available on iOS.

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Quincy - Without doubt, this is Rayman on crack! Lost Socks has a crazy energy. There are explosions everywhere with combos flying out of the wazoo.

Taylor - It kind of looks like Earthworm Jim meets Jetpack Joyride. Or something. Matt - It really is the endless running Rayman games crossed with the goofy style of Earthworm Jim. There are a few too many buttons for my liking, but it oozes charm and runs smoothly. Chase - This game is really fun. It's a good challenge, there are plenty of levels, and loads of upgrade possibilities. 3 starring this game would be really difficult as there is a large margin for error, but that fits the style perfectly. Matt - There are multiple routes and challenges on top of just completing each level. If you love mobile Rayman, this is a must have. Quincy - It's a beautiful burst of colour, lights, and action, but done surprisingly well. There's actually tons of replay value here as you power up your weapons and unlock different abilities while on this path of destruction. Not to mention boss battles and tasks to complete which earn you coins. Aaron - Lost Socks is kind of okay. The second weapon is confusing and feels unnecessary. The game would work just as well with jump, float, dash, and shoot, I think. It's still fairly fun to play, although it doesn't have the same finesse as Rayman, which is a shame. Kainen - You can really see that the developer has love for their game. It looks and sounds great. Rahul - The menu and UI are extremely polished and well done. The game looks and feels very complete visually. Quincy - This really feels like a top notch title that delivers a hardcore experience. It may take a while to get used to the control layout, but it's totally worth it, and you'll be rewarded with a console-quality gaming experience in the palm of your hand. Aaron - The artwork and animation are stunning. Kainen - It's also a really sad story. I almost had a tear in my eye when I realised sock number 2 went missing. It's an old story, but told in a lovely way. It plays very well, it's funny, and feels nice to play. It's so refreshing to play a polished iOS game. Quincy - There's just so much I could say about this game. The environments come to life, the characters show emotions, there are no IAPs. There's so much to love. Kainen - There's so much to do as well. Cages to break open, creatures to rescue, and tasks to complete for more coins. Rahul - Agreed. There's so much replay value. Aaron - I just wish this had MFi controls. The number of times I've accidentally dashed and died is uncountable.

There's so much happening on the screen that I tend to die a lot from bullets or spikes I didn't see behind explosions or other things. Checkpoints would also be nice.

Rahul - Yeah, the gameplay is challenging. There are a lot of things happening, and that can be a bit overwhelming at times. There are three types of upgrades, and each one can be upgraded further as you progress.

All upgrades can be purchased with only one in-game currency, but most unlock as you progress in the game. This gives the player a really good sense of progression.

Simon - I've been enjoying my time with Lost Socks, though the controls are convoluted. I'm not really a fan of virtual buttons, and these are taking a lot of getting used to. I'll kick on and see how it goes. Olivier - I love this game. The graphics, sound, the action rhythm, and the hardcore difficulty make for a great challenge. It's one of my favourite platform games.

Though the main concern for me is the need to double press the jump button to float. The system is not intuitive, and can even be painful when the action gets hard.

Chanandler - Well this is a rather unexpected little gem. Platformers aren't normally my first point of call, but a few levels in and I'm really enjoying it.

Great visuals, slick presentation, tight controls. So far I'm impressed. It's always a good sign when you manage to three star the first level. It means the tutorial did its job properly.

James - I could play this all night, which is a worry for me as I've got work in the morning! James - Lost Socks is amazingly good. The controls are solid, it feels suited to iOS, and every mistake feels like your fault. You want to learn from it.

This is easily the prettiest game we've seen this year, though the action is so fast-paced you sometimes don't get to fully appreciate how gorgeous it is. This could be my favourite game of the year so far.

Chanandler - It's definitely fun. It has that 'just one more go' feel about it. I just find it hard to track what is going on during some of the busier stages, but the game does seem fairly forgiving. You can get through as long as you're doing something though, whether it's jumping, shooting, dashing etc. Aaron - I have been enjoying this. The overall feel is a bit loose. It does feel a bit like a button masher rather than a Rayman style technique driven game.

And as a button masher, it's very unforgiving and could benefit from different control options, such as swipe controls, MFi, or wider button placement.

Chanandler - Yeah, MFi support would really be beneficial here. Matt - Upgrading weapons is a must. I was really struggling killing some enemies before they got to me. One upgrade later, and I was clearing them without a problem. Chanandler - Good call there. I was saving up the in-game currency to buy something uber, but am now spending like my wife when she's been let loose in John Lewis with my Amex card. John - I can't even explain how much I love Lost Socks. It's one of the best platformer games I've ever played on any system in a while. Everything has a gritty, goofy feeling to it, and that is a balance which is really difficult to achieve.

The game is a major challenge. I did rage out a few times, and click out of the game. I always came back though because I thought the pain was worth it.

Aaron - I think I'm having a different experience than most. I'm finding the game hard, but more out of frustration than anything else. Simon - No, I'm with you Aaron. The controls are letting the whole experience down for me. John - It's a fair challenge though. It isn't hard due to poor controls. This is actually designed to be hard. It appears short, but you can play this game for hours and not even reach the second section. It's definitely not your average iOS platformer, but it's great. So, so great. James - I agree with James. When you beat a mission you've been stuck on for ages, it feels amazing. There’s a real sense of satisfaction in that. Conor - The game is very, very fun, and it runs so smooth. It's action-packed and will keep you hooked. Any action lover will go crazy for this. It is well worth the download. Chanandler - The difficulty definitely ramps up about 10 levels in, and upgrading your gear and skills becomes so important later on.

I really do think this needs MFi support as your fingers often cover up some of the action on the screen making it hard to see what's coming. I am still enjoying it though.

John - I’d say get it and play it. Get angry. Rage quit. Then play it some more, win, and achieve greatness. The App Army have spoken! If you'd like to sign up, please have a gander at our App Army application article. Have you tried Lost Socks yet? Did you find it too hard? Talk to us in the comments.