Way back in 1898 the esteemed Doctor Cavor developed a fantastical antigravity spray that he promptly dubbed: Cavorite, via which he then launched a campaign to explore the moon. However, the doctor quickly discovered that the moon was already very occupied and was subsequently captured by hostile natives whom didn’t take very kindly to his intrusions. Yet with his trusty antigravity spray at his side, Cavor was able to craftily escape his lunar prison – navigate a complicated series of caverns – and eventually reach his spacecraft once more.
However, the good doctor – just as he was about to leave the moon – heard a desperate plea for help coming from deep within the very same lunar caverns that he had just escaped. With a strong sense of justice governing all of his actions, Doctor Cavor knew that he couldn’t possibly bring himself to abandon this hapless victim to some kind of cruel fate. Thusly it was that the Doctor returned back to the moon’s treacherous subterranean realm for his third and greatest adventure yet: Cavorite 3: Princess of the Moon (out now, $2.99)!
For those of you not already familiar with Cascadia Games’ Cavorite series of platformer-puzzle titles, the best analogy I can think of would be to compare them to titles of yore such as Lode Runner or Solomon’s Key. In each room the player must navigate the doctor past various enemies and obstacles, all while carefully using his antigravity spray on crates in order to drop them on vital pressure plates. While merely surviving an area might be adequate enough for some, those truly aspiring to live up to Cavor’s legacy can further challenge themself by making sure to leave no captives unrescued.
This won’t be easy – however – as Cavorite 3 is ultra difficult, with every step taken by the doctor needing to be absolutely precise if he ever wishes to solve the mystery of the enigmatic cries for help. Thankfully the game does feature mind-blowlingly precise controls with which to execute these feats, something that developers of iOS platforming titles everywhere should certainly take note of. With the game’s left and right movement buttons on one side, and Cavor’s spray and jump inputs on the other, players will never encounter a situation that they aren’t adequately equipped for.
That is a good thing too since there are quite a few situations that players will find themselves in during the course of Cavorite 3, with the full adventure taking place across a trilogy of distinct regions. Furthermore, with a staggering 63 levels comprising those realms – and all of them brutally difficult – this is one truly meaty adventure that you won’t need to worry about finishing too quickly. That is unless – of course – you decide to “cave in” and purchase Cavorite 3’s only IAP option: the ability to unlock all of the game’s levels without having to first solve them in their respective order.
While I do not believe that Cavorite 3 was designed to be exploitative, even though such an IAP exists, I must make sure that I properly emphasize just how difficult this game truly is. Players can – at any given moment – easily fail by carelessly pushing around boxes, via accidentally baiting an enemy into the wrong area, or sometimes even by facing the wrong direction while falling. As a result, Cavorite 3’s brutally unforgiving challenge – although fair (thanks to the game’s extremely precise controls) – was simply not meant for anyone who doesn’t thrive in the face of steep adversity.
Anyways, with the gameplay now fully covered, I am happy to also announce that Doctor Cavor’s perilous journey is presented via brightly colored 16-bit inspired pixel-art. Furthermore, every single moving element in Cavorite 3 – which includes both the doctor, his various opponents, and most of the traps he will encounter – have all been animated quite fluidly. Not only is there a plethora of unique deaths for the doctor based on how he dies, but his default idle animation – seen whenever he is just standing about – might possibly be one of the most actively fidgety things I have ever witnessed.
In conclusion, Cavorite 3 – for those who enjoy ultra-difficult puzzle-platformers – is a perfectly tuned challenge, complete with rock-solid controls, but might be a bad fit for anyone who quickly becomes frustrated when dealing with steep adversity.
iFanzine Verdict: The ultra-difficult single-screen puzzle-platformer antics of Cavorite 3 are a pure love-letter to classic titles such as Lode Runner or Solomon’s Key, and the game furthermore comes with the impeccably solid controls required to tackle such trials. Also accompanying Cavor’s journey through the moon is a detailed 16-bit era inspired pixel-art presentation, with fluidly detailed animations for both the doctor and all of his adversaries. The only downside is that anyone who easily becomes frustrated will probably not stay sane for very long should they attempt to conquer the pure unadulterated challenge found within Cavorite 3.