Sunday, August 3, 2014

Order and Chaos: Duels- Review

Many of us may not consider Gameloft capable of developing a free, fun game. Sure, there was Asphalt 6,7 and 8, but what about for those among us who don't appreciate racing games too much and prefer the traditional RPG or hack-and-slash dungeon crawler?

Well, for those people, I have found Order and Chaos: Duels to be a brilliant TCG RPG.
(TCG= Trading Card Game)

In Order and Chaos: Duels (O&C), you play a silent hero who seeks to destroy the 'Corruption', a sickness caused by a person named Zepar. You find yourself in a dungeon with a person named Alara, who decides to help you to get out of the dungeon and defeat Zepar. You get to choose a hero then. Each hero has different abilities, which can change the course of play dramatically.My favorites are an Orcish Mage named Wildmage Aghara, and an Elf named Thalya Hawkwing. Both their powers can be devastating if used properly.

So, anyhow, the aim of the game is to bring out your cards and destroy the opponent's cards. Depending on the hero you chose, this deck will vary. Orc and undead heroes get Chaos cards, whereas Elves and Humans get Order cards. The game has a turn-by-turn combat system, where you bring in your card for mana, wait 1 turn for it to get charged, and then it can attack. Each card has a specific amount of health and attack stat. If the attack of your card is higher than the health of the opponent's card, it will be destroyed. If a card has no card opposing it, then it will attack the hero, who also has a fixed amount of health, though much more than any card's health.

There are also Spell cards which have instant effects, such as cards that do extra damage to cards, increase your attack or health or may grant your cards special abilities.

Some of these abilities are-

1) Breach Attack- If the card opposing you is destroyed by this card attacking, then some damage is dealt additionally to the enemy hero.

2) Leech- Cards heal when they attack. For example, a card with Leech(3) heals for 3 health when it attacks.

3) Strengthen- This ability increases the attack of your neighbouring cards by a certain amount.
For example, if I brought out a Blind Reaper, a card with Strengthen(4), the cards around it would gain 4 attack.

4) Stun- Prevents a card from attacking for a given period of time.

These are just some of the many abilities in the game.

On your quest to destroy Zepar, you team up with more people. They are Laguth, a friendly Orc, and Naori, an Elf who pretends to be a follower of Zepar so that she could find her tribe members.

On your way, you face many people who have been taken over by the Corruption. The last part, where you face Zepar's order is the coolest. The people you fight there are former adventurers like you who gave in to Zepar after defeating all of his Corrupted followers.

Finally, after defeating Zepar, the game doesn't end. There is another campaign, where you are stuck in a swamp and have to get out. This is called the 'Swamp of Wyrms' and extends onto the Tear Coast and the Arcadian Forest.

The cards have incredible artwork and are divided into Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic cards. Epic cards are the strongest and the rarest. There are 77 epic cards, 102 rare cards, 117 uncommon cards and 132 common cards. Just to give you an idea of the amount of work put into this game.

It is available on both iOS and Android, and was recently released for the Windows Store.

Finally, the ratings-

Fun- 4/5
O&C is a great game that can provide a lot of fun to a player. However, if you cannot defeat a CPU, then it takes a lot of difficulty to defeat it in the end. For example, one of the early CPUs is a desert raider called Veiled Raider. He has 2 Fallen Lord Esteros cards, one of the best cards in the game. Not very easy to defeat if you just got out of the dungeon. However, I really like the fact that there is a campaign after defeating Zepar.

Graphics- 4.5/5
The cards are an amazing piece of art. They almost look real!

Plot/Storyline: 4/5
The story is a nice one, but the battles against the Corrupted to get to Zepar are too long and there are too many of them.

Gameplay: 4/5
The turn-based gameplay is interesting. We have to use a lot of strategy to defeat a difficult enemy.

Child-Friendliness: 3/5
There is no blood in the game, and no fighting per se, but the depiction of some female characters in the game is inappropriate for small children.

Replay Value: 3.5/5
After defeating an enemy named Dead Mistress, you can find free card packs randomly by defeating enemies.

Music: 4/5
The music is a sort of adventurous theme that suits the game perfectly.

Total: 27/35



Monday, April 21, 2014

Horn- Review

   Horn is essentially, a game that mashes together Infinity Blade's graphics, LostWinds' music and a lot more excellent elements from a lot of successful games. Created by Phosphor Game Studios of Dark Meadow and Kinect Adventures fame, it's FREE as 'App of the Week' in the Apple App Store. Despite its large size (1.02 GB), I think it's completely worth it, and to get an app like this for no cost at all is a complete steal.

It tells the story of a blacksmith's apprentice named Horn who lives in the village of Cuthbert in a mystical land called Reynes. (The game says that the person who discovered it named it after his uncle's pet bird.) Anyway, Horn is an orphan who lives with his Aunt Bell.

The game begins with the tale of Reynes and how the land prospered in a Golden Age. Then, it introduces the main character, Horn, a looks-like-15 year old boy who wakes up in a ruined, mysterious old tower. He finds a strange crystal and a horn next to him. Then, he sees this giant robot-like creature near him and he follows him, asking for help. The creature gets angry and says that Horn is carrying the horn of the High Pygon Squire. A battle ensues and Horn knocks off the creature's head. The creature (revealed to be called a Pygon) is still alive and chases after its head. He fights more Pygon, and defeats a colossal Pygon and touches it with the crystal he found. It's revealed to be Aunt Bell, who has no clue  what happened to her. Horn and Aunt Bell reach their home village of Cuthbert and find it in ruins.

Well, I've disclosed enough details. I recommend that you go to the App Store and get the app for yourself. Have fun!

RATINGS:

Fun: 4.5/5
Horn is a highly immersive game. When one looks at the backgrounds and fight scenes, one can tell that a lot of work has gone into making this game perfect. However, the constant fights against Pygon can, at times, get annoying and a bit boring. But there are secret Grottos filled with Pygite crystals (monetary unit) and cute little Pygon that don't attack you but follow you for a little while with little heart symbols floating above their heads.

Graphics: 5/5
Horn is a work of art, to say the least. The environments are incredible, whether in battle with a Pygon, in a ruined old building or out in the wild. Phosphor Games has taken Unreal Engine to a whole new level.

Plot/Storyline: 3.5/5
Well, it is certainly interesting to think that all people have been turned into robots but you and your aunt. But there could have been many more places to explore in Reynes, not centred around Cuthbert.

Gameplay: 4.25/5
Instead of starting the whole mission/level over again when you die, Phosphor has devised a system of 'checkpoints' where you respawn from if you happen to fall in battle. That's a good idea which can make players continue to play instead of giving up after dying too many times. Also, the levels have mazes and puzzles which are quite a challenge to solve and generally adds to the game's appeal.

Child-friendliness: 4/5
This game doesn't have too much violence and the fights are based on a dodge-and-slash system without any blood. But there still is violence.

Replay Value: 2.5/5
The missions get boring after finishing once; one can remember the way through and the entire maze and fog and secrets goes 'poof'. But the re-battling against the Pygons is still interesting.

Music: 4/5
The music is excellent and is peaceful. But it is a bit wrong to have this peaceful music in battles against giant evil robots seeking to kill you.

Total: 27.75/35

Horn, by Phosphor Games, Free on the App Store.
Get it today!





Friday, October 4, 2013

LostWinds- Review

  Frontier Entertainment have created a lasting classic with LostWinds. Take control of Enril, the spirit of the wind to help Toku, a young boy destroy the evil spirit Balasar, who threatens to destroy Toku's home land, Mistralis. And so, when Toku falls into a cave, he frees Enril and an epic adventure begins. Go over large mountains, ruined villages, and lightless caves as you set off to save Mistralis.

As the game progresses, Enril gains more and more powers which help you to progress through the lush valleys of Mistralis. In the end, there's a boss, Magmok, who's been taken over by Balasar's powers, and you have to defeat him. LostWinds is worth Rs. 220 on the App Store, but is worth it. There is also a sequel, 'Winter of The Melodias', which I'll review later.

It all started when Toku was walking on the bridge. It collapses and Toku frees Enril. Then, they visit Toku's sitter Deo, who is actually a very powerful spirit, but doesn't remember anything. So, we have to visit four locations all over Mistralis, to find Deo's memory, which was broken into three because of Balasar's powers. The first chest is hidden in an abandoned village within a dark cave. The second one is deep inside some mines. The third one is at the top of the Wither Falls and the last one is in a room east of the abandoned village. In the end, Deo takes you to defeat Magmok ,who has been taken over by Balasar.

This game is innovative and interesting to play. I highly recommend it for those who are willing to pay the cost. It is also available on the Wii, and can be purchased from the WiiWare store for 1000 WiiPoints.

My ratings for LostWinds-

FUN: 4/5
It's a great game, and the land of Mistralis is lush and peaceful. Exploring it is really a lot of fun.
GRAPHICS: 4/5
The graphics are nice- somewhat 3D. I can't really say more- you need to see it to experience it.
PLOT/STORYLINE: 4/5
The storyline is obviously well-planned. To bring someone as regular as a babysitter into the story is quite creative.
GAMEPLAY: 3.5/5
I would've liked Enril to have more powers to unlock, with more monsters which are harder to beat.
CHILD-FRIENDLINESS: 3.5/5
Children would really enjoy playing this epic adventure. However, they might need help to move around and defeat foes.
REPLAY VALUE: 2.5/5
After defeating Magmok, he can be battled an infinite number of times, which is quite interesting.
MUSIC: 5/5
The music is SO relaxing and peaceful, it deserves a five. Even in battles, where you can't possibly have peaceful music, it has a sort of drum solo which really makes it seem as if it's a big battle.

TOTAL: 26.5/35

LostWinds- published by Frontier Entertainment- Rs. 220 on the App Store. Get it today!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Infinity Blade- Review

  The immortal god-king, Raidriar, lives in his castle, surrounded by trolls, monsters and beasts. A man, armed with a magical ring, a sword, a shield and a suit of armour sets out to destroy him.

Sounds interesting? Well, that's the main plot of Chair Entertainment's Infinity Blade. For Rs. 350, it's a brilliant deal on the App Store. The graphics while battling the 'titans' are incredible and can dwarf the graphics of many PS3 and XBox games.

To simplify battling, you have to reduce the titan's health to zero before you're killed. To do this, you can block the monster's slashes, or dodge or parry them. You have to break their slashes and stun them, and then you can combo slash them, reducing a great amount of health. In the end, t's essentially a dungeon-crawling game in 3D Unreal Engine, where you defeat the monsters, collect experience and loot, and eventually defeat the God King.

The game is set in 'Bloodlines' where each person you fight with, when he dies with the God King, a descendant comes to avenge him and destroy the God King, retaining the same weapons and items of the last bloodline.

I really enjoyed playing this game, and now, a Part 2 and a Part 3 are out.

To access the menu, just swipe down from the top of the screen. This is a handy feature and serves as a sort of pause button.

One thing I appreciate about this game is that unlike other games, where, when you reach a certain level, defeating all monsters becomes a piece of cake. Instead, Chair Entertainment have found a solution to that, by which, in each bloodline, the monsters slowly and gradually increase their levels. So, even when you ave the Infinity Blade, the most powerful sword in the game, it would still be difficult to kill a few monsters and you would have to keep a more than a few potions ready.

Finally, my ratings for the game-

FUN: 4/5
Infinity Blade is a sort of dungeon crawler, and might seem a little too bloody or violent for some. However, for those who don't mind blood and gore, I highly recommend this game. For the price of an ordinary PS3 or XBox game, you can buy around 6-7 copies of Infinity Blade (provided you could do that on iOS).

GRAPHICS: 5/5
The graphics are simply AMAZING. While the game screenshots in the App Store may not seem too impressive, the entire area is like taking an exaggerated walk outside with giant monsters guarding gates and crumbling castles dotting the background. It's beautiful. Chair Entertainment has given a lot of attention to details, but has not made it seem too detailed. And that's wonderful.

PLOT/STORYLINE: 3/5
Well, I give a deserving three to this game, as it's just a bit illogical that the descendants have the same weapons as the dead people from previous bloodlines. It's essentially a repeat of all bloodlines as the game goes on.

GAMEPLAY: 4.5/5
The titan battles are unique. It's clear that Chair has put a LOT of thought into this game.

CHILD-FRIENDLINESS: 3/5
It's a dark game, with the lights casting shadows criss-crossing the room, with bloody battles between giant, fearsome titans. Not really appropriate for a younger child but is good fun for the 14+ age group.

REPLAY VALUE: 3.5/5
This game has a lot to do- forks in the path which lead you to weird places, and treasure hidden in statues. But it gets a little boring after a few bloodlines.
MUSIC: 4/5
The music is dark and creepy, and really sent a shiver up my spine. Just how a game music should be.

TOTAL: 27/35





Supermagical-Review

   Match-three-color games are very common on the App Store today. But what if, instead of bubbles or jewels, the things to match are demonic little creatures called Minix, wouldn't that boost the quality of the game?Well, that's exactly what Gala Pocket Games has done with Supermagical.

   Basically, in Supermagical, you follow the path of a young witch called Nina, the only one of her eight sisters not exiled to the Underworld for being evil. The seven sisters are named after the Seven Deadly Sins:
(you talk to them in this order)
1) Laziness (Sloth)
2) Gluttony
3) Greed
4) Lust
5) Wrath (Anger)
6) Envy
7) Pride

The main objective is to destroy all the Minix, which have invaded each level, and reach the sisters to exile them back to the Underworld after their escape.One thing Gala Pocket could have improved is a sort of actual battle against the sisters; instead, you just talk to them and you're supposed to choose the option that will send them back to the underworld in the form of a multiple-choice.

Supermagical is FREE on the App Store, and I would recommend you giving out a try. However, the colours of the game and the drawings might seem a little too childish for some, but some might actually enjoy it.

The landscape changes rapidly, and so do the difficulty of the levels. You start at the 'Sunny Eastern Land', where the levels are very easy, and then the 'Snowy Land' is a little difficult. But the hardest by far is the last zone, the Sky Islands. However, you can also unlock warlocks, who have different powers to destroy Minix, they are-

1) Elifo- A male fairy-like thing which removes one Minix randomly
2) Giordano- A friendly ghost who can remove all Minix of one colour
3) Nostradamus- A robot who can summon his pet, Floppy, which pushes the Minix away from the edge.
4) Paracelso- A polar bear who removes the otherwise indestructible white Minix
5) Papos- A giant who can destroy one line of Minix randomly
6) Ogmios- An ancient wizard who destroys all on-screen Minix (WRITER'S NOTE: This guy has saved me more than a billion times on hard levels!)

And finally, the ratings-

FUN: 4/5
While Supermagical might be a nice game to play, it might seem too childish for some.

GRAPHICS: 3.5/5
The graphics are nice and bright, very colourful. However, a more 3D-integrated experience would've been better, given the games that we get today.

PLOT/STORYLINE: 3/5
I really liked the idea of a bubble-bursting and a semi-role-playing game combined. However, the game was a little too short and I would've liked it to be a little more interesting with more twists. Also, as mentioned, I would've enjoyed a sort-of 'boss battle' with the evil sisters, instead of just speaking with them by choosing the right option.

GAMEPLAY: 4/5
This is a unique game- semi-RPG and bubble-bursting. And, most importantly, it's free!

CHILD-FRIENDLINESS: 4.5/5
Any parent hesitating to download this on their iOS device for their child should forget about their worries and directy download. The game is easily navigable and is extremely child-friendly.

REPLAY VALUE: 1/5
After I finished the game after a day of serious playing, and then I deleted it- I was done, and there was no more point playing.

MUSIC: 3.5/5
The music is nice and bouncy.

TOTAL: 23.5/35

-Published by Kyogre