Turbolab Pursuit is one very challenging 'endless runner' on iOS

After bringing you our preview of Turbolab Pursuit on iPhone and iPad, I had high hopes for this automotive endless runner (or is it driver?) from KoolFing. After getting my hands on the final product, I'm still oddly intrigued by the game, but its overabundance of challenge really holds the game back from what it could be.

Turbolab Pursuit follows a mad scientist as he tries to outrun baddies in his customizable vehicle on an endless course. Each game's layout is randomly generated, so no two games play the same way. Playing as the scientist, you'll need to tap on one side of the screen to make the car jump and tap on the other side of the screen to fire bullets at your pursuers. It's a setup that works well in terms of technical power, as the game never slowed down even though there's so much action going on at once.

Even though Turbolab Pursuit technically handles well, the gameplay is incredibly challenging. The camera constantly zooms in and out on the action so planning your moves ahead of time is often difficult, and there are so many obstacles, enemies and power-ups to look out for that each game turns into a hectic, stressful experience. While coins are scattered throughout each course, many are blocked behind paths that require perfect timing and jump accuracy to reach, so you may complete a game without earning any coins at all.

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Once you've earned coins, they can be used to upgrade your scientist's vehicle. You'll be able to upgrade its speed, defense, and more, but most of the upgrades cost upwards of 1,000 coins to purchase. Of course, you can purchase coins with real money in this otherwise free-to-play experience, but those that wish to keep the game free are in for a lengthy upgrade process.

Turbolab Pursuit would be a more entertaining experience if it wasn't so complex and challenging. As it stands, each stage is full of jumps, flip markers in the sky that require precise timing to activate, and enemies that can appear both in front of and behind your car. You can't aim in a particular direction; instead, you must rely on the vehicle itself to know which direction to fire in, and the act of constantly tapping with two fingers (or thumbs) on opposite sides of the screen can be confusing and overwhelming, especially when you think that you've fired off a shot, but the game doesn't respond.

Turbolab Pursuit is a clever take on the endless runner genre, but even after spending a few hours at the game, I still feel underprepared for what the game has to offer. Coins are far too difficult to earn without spending real money, and the game's camera is often too zoomed in on the screen to give you much of a chance for success. With updates that lessen the difficulty, perhaps Turbolab Pursuit could be a must-have download for your iPhone and iPad, but in its current state, the game is sadly more difficult than fun.

Download Turbolab Pursuit on iOS >

Have you tried Turbolab Pursuit? Do you like your endless runners to be this challenging, or would you prefer an experience that's more relaxing than this? Sound off in the comments!