Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor Review

Do everything a spider can in Tiger Style’s amazing Appstore debut. Spin webs, crawl walls, and chow down on a delectible selection of enemies (ranging from house flies to angry hornets); all these abilities executed with a flawlessly implemented touchscreen control scheme.

As the eight-legged “hero” of the piece you’ll inadvertantly discover the secrets of the titular Bryce Manor, unlocking a complex back-story which gradually unfurls whilst you play, yet never intrudes on the platformer-esque gameplay. Graphics are gorgeous, the action set against a backdrop of painstakingly hand drawn levels, with a great sense of achievement and exploration greeting your arrival at each new area.

Controls are easily grasped, a combination of tap and swipe input guiding the spider through the crumbling confines of the creepy mansion. While the platform/puzzler mechanic is woven masterfully into the compelling murder-mystery plot. There’s also an impressive amount of content on offer, the main game consisting of 28 levels, while extra modes (Feeding Frenzy, Precision and Hunger mode) add replayability.

Ultimately Spider is both beautiful and haunting, high praise indeed for a pocket money priced iPhone/iPod Touch title. But wholly deserved, as it scales the dizzying heights of console behemoths such as ICO in aiding to elevate the humble video-game from mere entertainment to something approaching Art. Utterly unique, and an essential purchase.
[xrr rating=4.5/5]