There’s a Stranger Things Mobile Game, and We’re Obsessed
The next season of Stranger Things will show up on Netflix Oct. 27, but it looks like the wait is over for the next adventure with Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Eleven thanks to the mobile game that dropped this morning.
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Before you even start playing, the game gives you a sense of what it's all about. Old school games are notoriously difficult, so the normal mode is apparently easier than the classic "1984 Hard" mode.
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Once you actually get into the gameplay, it's pretty responsive and feels great. You begin the game as Chief Hopper, starting off in the safety of his trailer in order to get a good sense of the controls. By tapping any floor area of the screen, you'll walk there. By tapping on people, you can also talk to them. There are also certain interactable objects, like punchable steel drums hiding coins or computers and signs that reveal bits of the story. Stranger Things is all about the mystery, so you'll want to pay attention to the details.
Things get a little tougher once you start investigating the Hawkings National Laboratory. At first, any enemy you encounter can be taken down with Hopper's powerful punches, activated by a tap of the screen, but soon you'll discover bigger baddies who aren't so easy to beat. Luckily, switches dotted around the facility turn on powerful laser beams that can take them out.
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The layout of the lab feels a lot like a dungeon you'd encounter in a Legend of Zelda game. You'll have to search high and low for key cards to proceed to the next area while fighting baddies, collecting coins and solving an overall puzzle to the last area.
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Along the way, you'll also stumble upon a familiar face. Lucas has also infiltrated the lab, and once you find him hiding away, he'll join your team.
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Based on the character selection screen, it looks like there are quite a few more people that can be recruited to your team. Each character also has their own unique abilities and stats. While Hopper is very physical, attacking enemies with punches, Lucas is armed with a slingshot that can cover distances and hit twice as hard. You can swap back and forth between a couple of characters on the home screen.
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You'll even stumble upon areas you'll need to return to later, once you've unlocked more characters with unique abilities.
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And like any retro classic, this game features fun boss fights that require a little creativity to defeat. So far, we've only fought an evil scientist, but we bet a fight with the Demogorgon will be epic.
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Finishing this first dungeon-like lab rewards you with some fun collectible items. For one, you'll stumble upon an Eggo waffle. Apparently, there are eight to collect in total, and we're very curious to see what they do. Coins are also hidden in all kinds of places, and we're guessing they'll be used in some sort of in-game shop. You can also nab a VHS tape, for some reason.
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Once you leave the lab, you can get a glimpse of the overworld map. Your objectives are marked with the faces of people you need to talk to or items that must be found or acquired. This way, you'll always have a rough idea of where to go and what to do next.
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Based on what we've seen, it looks like it'll take a moment to get through the whole adventure. We're glad that's the case. The game's retro aesthetic perfectly captures the spirit of the game, as do the blippy renditions of the music from the show. The movement is also surprisingly fluid and intuitive for a mobile game.
If you're not much of a gamer, you may have a tough time with some of the fighting, especially with the screen-tapping mechanic, but if you're obsessed with Stranger Things, it's worth giving it a shot. It's available now for iOS and Android, and it's totally free.
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If you're not sold on it yet, we think this trailer might change your mind.
If you're all about this Netflix show, click HERE for the perfect gifts for a massive Stranger Things fan.