Herman the hermit is a new budget platformer from Capcom’s mobile division…
Best described as Doodle jump meets Canabalt, the game sees you frantically navigating poor old Herman the hermit from floating platform to floating platform. It’s a straight up arcade style experience of survival as you aim for high-scores in a race against the clock.
Herman begins atop a floating platform and by touching anywhere on the touchscreen and then lifting your finger, Herman will launch himself in that direction. In the tutorial mode this is pretty easy and requires simple logic to gauge where best to tap so Herman follows that arc and lands safely on another platform. However, in the actual game, the screen is constantly moving with platforms flying in from the right. So unfortunately the game becomes more of a frantic tapping exercise, than providing the use of any real aiming skill.
I would have preferred the gameplay if the level scrolled as you jumped, instead of being on rails. This would give you more time to aim, and a feeling that you are truly battling the clock. As it stands however, it’s a little too frantic to be considered fun, especially for longer play sessions. It doesn’t have the ‘must have’ addictive factor of the likes of Doodle Jump, Canabalt and even Robot Unicorn. It’s a shame too, because Herman the hermit features a fun look and feel, with a genuinely funny lead character. And some of the power ups available to him are pretty cool, such as the rocket and the teleport.
As a budget game it’s certainly not going to break the bank if you want a quick pick-up-and-play title, but there are many better games out there vying for your hard earned bucks.
Herman the hermit is out now for $1.99. get it on the 
