Leo's Fortune is the most beautiful platformer on iOS, and it's a ton of fun, too
Everyone knows how to play a platform-style game; you move in one direction and avoid the things that can kill you. In that respect, Leo's Fortune is a lot like most platformers on the App Store, but what most other games can't hold a candle to is the game's wealth of personality and jaw-dropping visuals.
In Leo's Fortune you control Leo, a small fluff ball with an eastern European accent and a grudge. His gold has been stolen and the prime suspects are his own relatives. As Leo, you embark on a journey to find your treasure. Cut scenes and gameplay are punctuated by fantastic voice acting and story sequences that are so well done you'll forget you're playing an app.
The controls are simple: Your left thumb controls the direction Leo moves and your right thumb prompts him to either puff up, which provides a boost upwards, or slam your body downwards. The corridors and open areas you move through are filled with hazards like spikes and huge pits, as well as physics puzzles you must solve in order to proceed.
These mechanics are very easy to grasp and the game ends up feeling like a cross between Sonic The Hedgehog and LocoRoco, but the real star of the show is the stunning graphics. Everything in the world is rendered with almost absurd detail. As you breeze through the world you'll often be tempted to stop and stare, or perhaps even take a screenshot for posterity.
Small touches like Leo's occasional mumbles and the faux-3D effect created as blurry objects pass close by the camera add to the atmosphere and create a world that you'll enjoy spending time in, even if you die a dozen times on the way to the exit.
The game features 19 main story levels spread across a handful of chapters, along with additional bonus levels which can be unlocked based on your performance. There are no in-app purchases, bonuses, or other nonsense to worry about, so the US$4.99 price tag is well justified. The only downside of finishing the game is that you'll undoubtedly be hungry for more almost immediately.
