The tried and true formula has already been done by three other games in the franchise and numerous clones and copycats. What Temple Run: Oz really has going against it is that it’s more of exactly the same. More egregious, there’s always a metaphorical open palm to be greased offering to pull you from the jaws of defeat. There’s nothing you can’t achieve with enough running, but busting out the real world wallet is certainly a shortcut to a more capable character. Temple Run 2 was maligned in some circles for its microtransactions, and that system is intact here. It’s a bummer then that the Dark Woods, the game’s second zone, is atmospherically quite oppressive. The best thing about Oz compared to Temple Run 2 is that its initial area, Whimsie Woods, is enjoyable to run through. Somehow this back and forth is worse than being allotted a single environ, though to be fair the game’s menu has placeholders for future locales. Temple Run: Oz only features two areas, and as you continue on your yellow brick treadmill, you’ll endlessly alternate between them. Completing these challenges are the game’s real hook, and the moment their difficulty puts too much time between the dopamine hits is the moment you’ll stop playing. The latest Temple Run makes use of the same challenge system that was so successful in games like Jetpack Joyride and Punch Quest. In function, these rides are reminiscent of the secret cloud areas in Super Mario Bros. These flights of fancy are subdued and relaxing, starkly contrasting the breakneck pace of your ground game. The most obvious additions are the jaunts in your trusty hot air balloon.

Relentlessly pursued by the flying monkeys, you’ll navigate the obstacles in your path ad nauseum until your brain lapses or the ever-increasing speed outpaces your fingers. Swiping left or right turns, swiping up or down jumps or slides respectively, and tapping the screen activates power-ups. Gameplay has taken the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. In spite of being based on one of the most beloved film franchises of all time, Temple Run: Oz features no exposition or dialogue whatsoever.

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