Punch It! Review

Release Your Anger

Sometimes, you just have to let off some steam. All that pent-up rage feels like it can only be quelled by knocking down some structures, right? Unfortunately, punching buildings is neither smart nor practical. Take my word for it. Thankfully, Think Box Studio brings us the next best thing with their new title Punch IT! Channel that ferocity by using a mechanized boxing glove to knock over neatly stacked 3D objects. While it sounds like fun, it gets boring and annoying very quickly. The developers were initially on to something with this idea. Unfortunately, it seems as if they weren’t concerned with polishing that idea before sharing it.

Jabs For Days

The goal of Punch IT! is simple: knock over all objects on the screen. In the foreground, players operate a mechanical boxing glove. Just beyond are stacks of neatly arranged 3D objects asking to get knocked over. They range from boxes to cylinders to arches. Occasionally they are stacked so they look like buildings. Additionally, moving obstacles sometimes attempt to block your punches. But they are incredibly easy to work around. Tap the screen to deploy your punching arm and watch the pieces fly. That’s all there is to it. Sadly, despite the immediate satisfaction of watching utter destruction unfold, there are too many distracting setbacks.

Firstly, there is zero progression as you bash your way through the levels. It seems as if the configurations of shapes are cued up at random. Granted, Boss Levels always have the most intricate structures to knock down. But standard levels pull from only a handful of different layouts. That being said, players experience the same levels over and over again. Secondly, your punching arm just can’t reach shapes at the very edge of the screen. Sure, the toppled shapes will land at the edges every now and then; the physics are accurate after all. But this is a glaring design flaw. Some levels are just built with shapes at the far sides of the screen. So you can forget about clearing those stages. Your best bet is to back out and hope a different level loads when you try again.

One final hiccup is the calibration of the punch itself. Players must tap slightly above the target they wish to strike. Otherwise, punches fall short and stop before even reaching the shapes. This is only a minor flaw and requires just a bit of acclimation. But it would have been nice if the developers tested and addressed this before publishing the game.

Ads For Days

Punch IT! is a mess of ads.  Expect to spend nearly half your play time waiting for video ads to play through. Every time you complete a level, you’ll be greeted with an ad. Levels are easy to complete quickly so it’s a constant back-and-forth between okay gameplay and watching ads. Additionally, failing a level prompts an ad after a timer counts down. However, there is a hidden workaround. Simply tap the Back arrow to return to the menu before the timer stops. This lets you retry the level right away just as you would after watching the ad. While this is convenient, it’s a testament to the developers’ lack of attention to detail. The main menu offers the options to eliminate the ads at a cost. Honestly though, the experience even without ads is hardly worth the investment.

No Follow-Through

Imagine a boxer drawing back to deliver a hefty haymaker and then giving up. That’s the personification of this game. Punch IT! has some potential but it feels incomplete and rushed. To be fair, It’s a load of fun for the first few minutes. But you could play for five minutes and see all there is to see from this title. In its current state, there isn’t much to distinguish it from an annoying Facebook flash game. In short, we tested this game so you don’t have to.