Dub Dash - gamescom Preview

In a nutshell, Dub Dash is one of those games that will have you tearing your hair out, laughing hysterically, screaming in anger and then suddenly realising that four hours have passed and you’re still sat on the toilet.

Coming to both PC and mobile, Dub Dash is a fast-paced, rhythm focused, endless runner with a huge focus on a dub based soundtrack and a neon trance style. During gamescom I got a brief hands-on with the upcoming title, and within moments I was instantly hooked.

The aim is to navigate through levels, avoiding obstacles with a simple tap of the screen (the hands-on was with an iPad). Simple. Well, not quite, it’s not an endless runner in the usual sense, as once you reach the end of one set of obstacles, you are teleported elsewhere and the game becomes an entirely different beast.

After finishing the initial third-person stage, tapping your ball past obstacles, you are taken to a side scrolling stage and are now in control of a spaceship. Tapping and releasing raises and drops your craft, and suddenly the game turns into something along the lines of the Flash game Copter. The change came as a welcome surprise, it keeps you on your toes and forces you to change your playing style, something which I don’t think I’ve seen before in a game of this ilk. The longer you play, the more difficult the levels will become, and the change from third-person, to side-scroller soon becomes second nature.

There’s something very hypnotic about the style of Dub Dash too. The flashing lights and futuristic style are reminiscent of shinier, more polished F-Zero vista, pulling you in and keeping you transfixed on the screen like a magpie to a piece of tinfoil. The dub inspired soundtrack ensures that your dances around obstacles are timed with beats, this doesn’t just help get you in the rhythm, but also provides a catchy soundtrack that goes perfectly with the aesthetic.

If one thing is certain Dub Dash is going to be one of those games that you see and hear all of the time, even when you close your eyes.

It might not be the AAA, third-person action adventure games that so often steal the show, but it isn’t trying to be either. Dub Dash is an addictive game, perfect for playing on your commute, in a queue, on the loo or whenever you have a spare few moments to pass. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be hooked for a long time to come.

Dub Dash was part of Head Up game’s huge line-up at gamescom 2015 and you can get it on iOS and PC 8th October.