Subway Surfers – it keeps you coming back throughout the years

Subway Surfers is among the most well-known mobile games that start with holiday-based updates but later shifted to Word Tour topics, updating the game setting every three weeks. Despite its relatively simple storyline, Subway Surfers became the most downloaded game in the world in 2017.

One year later, it reached another milestone by becoming the first Google Play game that surpassed one billion downloads. Two months later, Subway Surfers also over two billion downloads, making it the second most downloaded iOS App Store game of all time.

However, Subway Surfers seemed to be unstoppable because it reached another threshold in late 2019, after crossing 2.7 billion downloads and becoming the number one downloaded game of the decade. As a result, SYBO Games made animated series inspired by Subway Surfers.

On the other side, the critics weren’t as favorable in the beginning as one would think. Instead, many found that although Subway Surfers is entertaining and offers decent visuals, its world is dull, and the controls lack responsiveness. Ultimately, the game rose above the initially polarizing reviews.

The gameplay is not overly complex, and it follows a young boy named Jake who tags a subway and gets caught after a grumpy inspector and his dog spot him and start chasing him. Although Jake is the initial character, players can also choose to play Tricky or Fresh as that doesn’t affect the plot.

The interface and functions are simple. The players navigate the game by tapping on their touchscreen and swiping up, down, left, or right. That way, they can beat the never-ending obstacles, such as poles, barriers, and moving subways. Since the game is lighthearted and suited for children, there is no blood or violence when the player collides with the oncoming objects.

Instead, the guard will come, and the game will finish. A player can avoid that by swiping fast enough to beat the challenges and collect points as the speed plays against them. Various items are available for the player to catch and get a higher score. Therefore, you can collect keys, coins, sneakers, magnets, power jumpers, etc.

But is Subway Surfers as popular in 2021 as it used to be in 2012? We played it for you to see how much has changed. Here are our thoughts.

Digestible fun and ease of play

Subway Surfers wasn’t overly innovative nine years ago, and neither is it today. If you are looking for unique background stories or an immersive plot that makes the gameplay more intriguing, that’s not something that Subway Surfers provides.

Instead, Subway Surfers is about the ease of play, straightforward instructions, and quick and digestible fun content. Players don’t need a long or complex introduction to engage in this game. They can access it anytime and play in short bursts without getting bored or losing their attention.

Even though it’s similar to Temple Run, Subway Surfers differs thanks to various twists that make it worthy of your time. That is also the reason why you’ll likely keep coming back to this game, even after years of playing.

Subway Surfers maintains the innocence and pure fun that old school games had in the 90s and early 00s. The goal is to run across the subway tracks, gather coins and items that help your power while not letting the incoming obstacles collide with you. The mechanics allow you to move across the three vertical subway tracks, but you can only go forward. There’s no going back in Subway Surfers.

Controls feel a tad clunky at times, but the graphics are astonishing, and the landscapes will make you enjoy the game even more. However, the power-ups are probably one of the most entertaining elements of Subway Surfers. It adds novelty and breaks the usual formula of endless-runner games.

Collecting items and jumping to get them right in time and improve your score is amusing, no matter how many times you’ve already seen it. But in Subway Surfers, each object helps you achieve or enhance something particular.

For instance, Coin Magnet and the Jetpack allow you to get a bunch of coins. On the other side, Multiplier and the Sneakers could put you in danger as you try to collect them, and they won’t significantly improve your score.

Alongside the power-ups, you can also engage in various missions to get more coins and rank higher. Times, you can upgrade particular items with or purchase in-game. But it’s not recommendable to spend real money because it’s relatively easy to collect the items and earn your reward.

Besides the controls, the characters are also fun and have adorable animations. The environment is playful and colorful, helping you enjoy your mission to the fullest. Overall, there are no significant glitches, and the technical aspect of the game is top-notch.

Thanks to that, Subway Surfers feels effortless, and you can do everything with a single finger, including avoiding obstacles, collecting items, and moving across the tracks. As a result, you will want to keep coming back to this engaging time and try your luck one more time.

Adds its own touch and keeps the adrenaline going

With its power-ups that help you improve your score and get coins, Subway Surfers adds its own flair to the runner-game genre. But that’s not the only good thing it has to offer. It is also colorful, engaging, and it creates a world with fun characters and obstacles.

Hence, even though it’s been nine years since its release, Subway Surfers can still keep you going back and have a blast like it’s 2012.