Can Knockdown AR Pro is the full version of the free Can Knockdown AR game. It’s also the AR version of the popular Can Knockdown titles, although from what I see it’s from a different developer. In this ARKit physics-based game, you need to knock down cans by hitting them with a baseball ball. I am reviewing version 1.0 of the game using my Apple iPad 2017 tablet.
I really love knockdown games or AR game where you need to be accurate and throw balls onto or into other objects. For example, a few days I ago I played a game called Bee Pong AR, where you need to put ping pong balls into plastic cups. I’ve played AR-Ball, Pumpkin Basketball, Darts AR, Paper Bin AR—all of those games requires accuracy and good timing. The problem was that many of those game didn’t have realistic physics but Can Knockdown AR game does.
How to play Can Knockdown AR?
The gameplay controls are simple. You need to swipe and hold to release the ball towards the cans. Ther power of the throw depends on how long you hold your finger down. It goes straight to max power and then slides down to less power. There is a power meter on the right side of the screen that indicates how powerful the shot would be. I personally not a fan how this control and prefer just a single slide up motion, where the longer the swipe, the more powerful it is. This is because the delay just creates a discontinuity between throw finger movement and the animation.
The game is divided into levels, each level has 24 rounds. In each round, the player needs to clear all the metal cans by hitting them so they fall and hit the ground. Each round has a different looking level and different can arrangement. Some levels have moving parts that designed to stop you from hitting the cans. Some levels have different power-ups cans. For example, the exploding can explodes and hits any can around a small radius and the ‘Extra ball’ does what its name suggests, gives you an extra ball.
Let’s check out some gameplay!
The player has only thee balls to try to clear the levels. Some levels have more than three cans, so the player is required to pay attention to how the level s designed to make sure it hits the right bucket so he can have enough balls to clear up the entire level. At the end of each round, you get to see the current level score, time bonus, balls left, the total score and a 3-star ranking based on the number of balls it took you to clear up the cans.
After you finish the round, you can then unlock the next round and so on.
What I really liked about the gameplay is the diversity of the rounds, some of them are quite tricky. The physics felt realistic and with the sound effects, the experience felt very realistic. I also liked the grungy rusty look of the metal, the moving parts and the use of different can types to spice up the gameplay experience.
I’ve played the game both indoors and outdoors and the game looks better when playing under the sun because of the metal and wood materials that better fit and outdoor environment.
By the way, when you spawn the level, it draws a line on the floor. You have to play the game behind that line. If you cross it the game will warn you to get outside the line. Even if you able to hit all the cans, you will fail. Some games like Paper Bin AR do this by just giving you fewer points but in this game is not all about points, but progression, so it prevents you from cheating—a good idea!
Issues While Playing With the iPad
I’ve played Can Knockdown AR Pro on the iPad 2017 tablet. I’ve noticed that the level screen is cut off at the top. Furthermore, the menu button in-game is also cut off. When I reached Level 3, the first round is unplayable for some reason. I just see that large metal block and nothing more.
I guess this is related to improper testing on the iPad and I believe it will work well on the iPhone. The problem is that I don’t have an ARKit-compatible iPhone device to test it out, hopefully in the future.
You know what I think would have been so cool, being able to throw different types of balls. In one level I just felt like throwing a basketball, make it hit the side metal wall diagonally and smash all the cans on the metal plate. I think that if it’s already a physics-based game, while not get crazy with different types of objects, not just cans (I know, but it’s a “Can” Knockdown game).
Free vs Pro Version
The free game has the same levels as the Pro version. The main difference is that you have a limited amount of credits that you can play. Once those credits are depleted you won’t be able to continue playing. The only way to continue playing is to recharge those credits or buying the full version of the game, which you can do from within the game itself (what I did).
If you want to recharge the credits, all you need to do is to press the video button and the game will show you an advert that after watching the advert your game will be credited and you will able to continue playing.
Conclusion
Can Knockdown AR is a great ARKit game. It features realistic physics, lighting and shadow effects that give the game an authentic look and feel. The game comes with multiplayer levels, each one has its own unique design and challenges.
I had several issues with my iPad and I hope those will be fixed in future updates. Overall, it’s a really augmented reality game that really fits the real-world settings, especially when played outdoors.
I don’t have an option to enjoy throwing baseball balls onto cans in my area where I live but I can do that in AR without a problem. It’s great that you can enjoy those type of activities that you probably can’t or wouldn’t be bothered with in real-life—definately recommended, download the game and have fun!