LOCHFOOT

This story about the spawn of Bigfoot and Nessie (aka the Loch Ness Monster) suffers from a dry storyline and a significant lack of interaction and ingenuity.

The basic concept is clever: Two legendary, elusive creatures have made a family together. They have a son named Lochfoot, who is apparently still trying to come to terms with his obligation to make himself scarce in the world. He befriends Zach and Madi, kids who’ve wandered away from their family’s campsite, and that premise alone is rife with creative storytelling possibilities. Instead, this treatment deteriorates into a dull narrative that ends up at odds with the mysterious vibe the developer seemed to have been shooting for. For example, the app is accompanied by eerie electronic music throughout, but the female narrator sounds like she could be telling a story about a stuffed teddy bear, which kind of kills the spooky groove. The dialogue also detracts from the mystical mood, as the characters sound more like stereotypical American teenagers than daring kids or an enigmatic creature. There’s no interaction to speak of beyond turning pages; the animation is all automatic. When their worried parents ask where they’ve been after the kids return to the campsite, they lie about it in order to protect Lochfoot and his family. Understandable on one level; troubling on another.

Great premise but, overall, a disappointing experience.