Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a mobile game released for iOS and android devices by developers Maze Theory. When I first heard about the game it would be dishonest of me to say that I wasn’t sceptical and thus had my reservations.
These reservations came about because, as many whovians know, when it comes to the video game world; Doctor Who hasn’t always had the best pixelated treatment. With previous games such as Return to Earth, The Eternity Clock and the free-to-play PC download adventure games all receiving mixed responses from fans and critics alike whenever something new is announced one cannot help but have doubts.
The game, which takes place solely through a phone that belonged to the missing Larry Nightingale (fans will remember him from the highly rated season 3 episode “Blink”) the player must navigate their way through the interface which has been infiltrated by The Weeping Angels and attempt to stop them from spreading their image through earth’s internet networks.
Thankfully for the player they aren’t alone in their efforts to save the universe as throughout the game we are joined (and guided) by UNIT scientist and fan favourite Petronella Osgood. Osgood communicates with the player through text and pre recorded video chatting all of which I found to be a highly enjoyable and immersive experience that only aided the narrative and upped the stakes for success after seeing Osgood almost be zapped through time on several occasions.
The overall runtime of the game is around 2 hours and it can be completed easily in one sitting, however for the casual gamer looking for something different to do during the morning commute then the game and story could easily be played in smaller segments over the course of a day or two.
For the casual watcher of Doctor Who the game would be enjoyable, however there is a chance that some of the more niche and obscure references and Easter eggs may be missed. One reference that I really enjoyed seeing was the inclusion of Rani Chandra from The Sarah Jane Adventures as I found this to be a sweet touch and nod to another show that meant so much to many fans.
If I had to improve the game it would be to expand the narrative, I mean this in the sense that once the adventure ended it was open ended enough to present the idea for further chapters. The interface, although seemingly simplistic in design was enough to provide an experience that was highly immersive and incredibly easy to use from the get go.
Overall I enjoyed it and really felt like I was in an episode of Doctor Who. What has lost the game some points for me however, is that I did find the story to be rather small and the whole game was over pretty quickly.
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is available for download on the iOS and android app stores for £3.49
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