Cookies Must Die is the latest release from Rebel Twins, the creators of Daddy Was A Thief, Aliens Drive Me Crazy, and most notably, Dragon Hills. As expected, Cookies Must Die offers a zany story, beautiful 2D art, and quality controls, though this is a free-to-play release, so the title's monetization isn't the best, but it is at least reasonably tolerable thanks to title's polished gameplay.
The short trailer above for Cookies Must Die shows off the title's slingshot-based gameplay, and I have to say, it works great. Much like the game Ordia (one of my favorite releases from last year), you'll use slingshot mechanics to navigate your way through each level in Cookies Must Die, but the twist is that once you tap on your character to choose the direction to sling them, time slows down, which counterintuitively allows for fast-paced gameplay where you'll sling your character into every enemy you can find. Essentially, it's your job to sling the hero into his enemies in search of a key that will allow him to progress through each of a chapter's five levels, until a boss fight is reached. You'll do this all the while collecting in-game currency that can be used to purchase character upgrades as well as new heroes. Once you beat a boss, it's time to move on to the next chapter.
On top of the enjoyable gameplay and fantastic controls, you can expect to play through a ludicrous story where newly-awakened anthropomorphic cookies are wreaking havoc on society, and so you'll play the part of a secret agent that of course has a few has special powers, thanks to his government-sanctioned gadgets and weapons. These tools both start off rather minimally, but as you work through the title's many stages, you'll eventually unlock new weapons and gadgets simply by playing through the story.
Of course, since Cookies Must Die is a free-to-play release, in-app purchases are included, and they range up to $64.99 per item. These IAPs are mainly useful for purchasing a secondary in-game currency called Gems. These Gems can then be traded in the in-game store for the title's primary currency of Coins, which can then be used to purchase character upgrades as well as new characters. Loot boxes are also in the mix and can be purchased with Gems to unlock new gadgets and weapons, though I can't say the loot boxes feel necessary since you can easily unlock new equipment through story progression.
Despite its free-to-play monetization, Cookies Must Die is a solid action platformer that contains quality controls, beautiful art, and an amusing story. There's a sense of progression in the game, thanks to its unlockable characters, weapons, and gadgets, though players do have the opportunity to abuse the in-game store if they'd like to make things easier, but from my experience, there isn't a single purchase that is necessary to have fun with this release. So if you're looking for an enjoyable F2P platformer that is easy to get into without spending a dime, I definitely recommend Cookies Must Die.
Source: Twitter