Gadget Reviews, Product News, Electronic Gadgets

Do you know what I was thinking as I drifted through the serene marine observation that is the Wii’s Endless Ocean? Boy, this game needs spears. Lo and behold, the iPhone once again delivers the goods with Spearfishing 3D and now its sequel, Spearfishing 2

As all good sequels should, Spearfishing 2 boasts a significant graphical upgrade. Not only is there more detail on offer both in the underwater environment and the wee fishies themselves, but the interface is much more welcoming. Displays are spread out across the screen to make it easier to keep track of what’s going on, and even with the free version I’m reviewing here there’s enough information to give me a suitable platform upon which I can hunt some marine life. For a 3D game on the iPhone, Spearfishing 2 shapes up well.

Disappointingly, both the analog and tilt controls remain stiff and difficult. Some things are deliberately limited because the game wants me to buy extras like the diving suit and extra oxygen tanks, but the controls appear limited whatever you add, and that’s a shame. There’s some fun to be had in overcoming them, but this unfortunately fades as the game throws a none-too-diverse set of challenges at you over and over to help you gain the money required to move on to new parts of the ocean. In quick bites Spearfishing 2 is fun, admittedly simple fun but still fun, but it never grabs my attention enough to keep me searching for some of the hidden treasures supposedly waiting to be found deeper (pun intended) in the game.

The goodies included in the Pro version may at least reduce the impact of some of the issues found in the free version, but either way the lack of real evolution beyond the graphical leap means Spearfishing 2 doesn’t quite rise to the surface like its predecessor did.