Temple Run 3 preview - "Guy Dangerous strikes again"

• Run from temple guardians by all means necessary
• Upgrade your runs with cool new boosts
• Helpful pets offer useful skills along the way

I suppose there's really no way to resist the lure of shiny things, which is why years later, we're still running for our lives in temples, clutching ill-got treasure. 

Third time's the charm in Temple Run 3, and despite all the spiky traps, flaming fireballs, and monstrous fiends running after me here, I'm still all too willing to dive in.

Running for your life, circa 2011

Even if you're not familiar with this iconic franchise, it's basically exactly as it says on the tin. All you do is run in a temple, but while that might sound simple, it's actually anything but. You'll need to dodge all manner of traps and pull off all kinds of acrobatics just to escape with your life (and your loot), but just in case you die an untimely death (as you inevitably will), fret not - you get to have another go across this endless loop.

Now, you can always come back stronger and hopefully smarter, as every run earns you a bunch of coins and experience points you can use to level up your character. The roguelite element also offers handy boons within each run, whether that's slowing down your speed so you can time your jumps more efficiently or adding double coins earned whenever you run past those shiny golden things hovering in mid-air.

Still oddly satisfying, years and years later

If you're thinking you've heard this all before, I'm happy to report that Temple Run 3 does still manage to keep things fresh. The gameplay loop never gets old, mainly because there's always that nagging feeling that propels you to try again because you just know you can do better if only you timed that poorly tapped slide right. 

I also really appreciate the eggs you can collect and hatch into pets here, as each one will offer different perks and skills you can use while running. The first pet you get, for instance, has the ability to smash everything in its way when triggered - which, given that it's a cat, is not at all surprising. 

We have to talk about Guy Dangerous, though

…just because he looks suspiciously like Nathan Drake but with orange hair, and I don't mind at all.

In any case, Temple Run 3 is currently in soft-launch in certain regions, and while there are still a few features that aren't available yet (like the Events tab and a character that might just be an Indiana Jones lookalike), it's all pretty solid, and already offers plenty of good ol' temple-running fun in its current state.

You can also boost your progress with some bundles in the shop at the moment, or watch ads when you need to continue a current run. But the daily quests offer plenty of resources too, so I don't really think you need to spend money here (unless you absolutely want that epic egg bundle in your collection).

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to that cursed idol I can't seem to steal, and keep running away from those temple guardians I can't seem to shake. Ah, the treasure hunter's life.