The Royal Opera’s The Show Must Go On, Reviewed

The Royal Opera has ventured into app development.  The Show Must Go On

The Royal Opera's The Show Must Go On

has the player assuming the role of a stage manager at a variety of different productions.  The degree to which the player succeeds or fails at a series of mini games effects the show itself at the end of the scenario.  This game was play tested on a IPad 1 for this review.

Fun:  (4 out of 5 stars) The game plays well.  The characters are charmingly rendered and are well suited to the genre of performing arts that they represent.  The music of the show in question plays on cheerfully in the background and was a highlight.  There was a good sense of immediacy in the constituent games within each production and as such the overall sense of timing was well designed.  The strategies involved in game play were pretty linear and as such may be better suited for a younger audience.

Playability:  (4.5 out of 5 stars) The game is quick to learn and master.  The constituent games are well suited to the touch interface.  Each module within a show has enough different about it to keep most people engaged for hours.

Depth:  (2.5 out of 5 stars)  The app and the four shows yielded about six and a half hours of game play.  The player has to unlock each show in order and can play individual modules in the score attack mode.   For an adult player the replay factor is limited after the four show scenarios replay is probably quite a bit better for a younger audience.

Value: (4.5 out of 5 stars) For the price of $.99 this feels like a bargain.

Overall: (4 out of 5 stars) There are a lot of good things going for The Show Must Go On.  This app is a fun and easy introduction to four famous shows.  The music that plays with the game is lovely, even when played through iPad speakers.  I highly recommend checking this app out for killing time during holiday travel, it worked well for me.