Ego Crush Free Is a Fun Game to Play, but Intrusive Ads Are a Dealbreaker

If you’re like me, you enjoy old-school two-dimensional fighting games like Mortal Kombat. These classics have spawned numerous spinoffs, especially for mobile devices. Ego Crush Free is a game for iPhone and iPad with similar characteristics, but it has a fun twist and a bit of humor. However, intrusive ads make fluid gameplay almost impossible.

Unlike classic fighting games, you won’t be pitting yourself against enemies in the dingy underground of a city in ruins or in fantasy landscapes. Instead, you’ll be duking it out against company upper management while trying to earn as much money as you can.

Yes, that’s right. Ego Crush Free is essentially an office game. There’s a bit of a back story, too, and it involves an evil CEO who is determined to take over the world using his corporate minions. It’s your job to create a character that will fight back against important figureheads such as managers, vice presidents, and directors.

In order to play Ego Crush Free, you have to select which character you want to use. Then, choose a level and stage to play. Controls are very much like classic two-dimensional fighting games, meaning you have a joystick to move your character around the screen and various attack buttons.

One cool thing I noticed is that you can use a combination of joystick directions and attacks in order to create special attacks that do even more damage. You can also unlock achievements by hitting your opponent with items in the environment, among other things.

As you progress through the game, you’ll earn paychecks which can be spent on additional lives at the ATM. Also, players can obtain diamonds via in-app purchase, which can be used to purchase extra cash and character upgrades.

One thing I did notice about Ego Crush Free is that levels are a bit unorganized and out of order when it comes to mimicking an actual company hierarchy. The games App Store description says that you must conquer the CEO, but the 10th level (and ultimately the boss) is actually the chairman of the company.

The only issue I have with Ego Crush Free is that advertisements interfere with gameplay. While I have absolutely no problem with free games that choose to serve ads in neutral places such as menus or at the end of a level, it becomes an issue when players are accidentally tapping on ads while trying to play the game. Ads also block the bottom of the screen when trying to purchase character outfit upgrades, and buttons are actually hidden behind the ad so players can’t see or tap them.

Also, there’s no way to disable ads in the free version. Instead, you must purchase the full version of Ego Crush for $1.99 via the App Store.

All in all, I think Ego Crush Free has a ton of potential as far as gameplay goes. I really do like the concept, as well as the fact that the game has a unique storyline. However, I don’t like the fact that the free version of Ego Crush essentially bottlenecks players into having to purchase the full version in order to disable ads and actually play the game. It would be much nicer if ads only appeared on the main screen or at the end of a level.

Ego Crush Free requires iOS 4.3 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.

A small fee was paid by the developer for publication of this review