Tag: Game Review

— Mobile Games —

Disney Heroes: Battle Mode | Mobile Review

14 July, 2018

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. I’m just trying to save the world, one review at a time. Disney Heroes is copyright PerBlue Entertainment Inc, Disney and Pixar. Images used for reference and commentary.

In this new mobile game, Disney characters battle against mysterious creepers and evil versions of themselves. It is not clear if these are Disney heroes who have been turned evil or if they are evil doppelgängers. The storyline is inconsistent.

You begin playing as Wreck-It-Ralph and Vanellope, picking up new heroes along the way. You can have up to five characters in a party at once. Gameplay is automated except for the power-ups, which you press yourself. Later on, you can choose to automate the whole fight and even speed it up.

https://giphy.com/gifs/wreck-it-ralph-fist-bump-VLu1UgYtmmsLu

The real challenge is leveling up your heroes. There are so many ways to do it! There are levels and skills and badges – oh my! This makes it intricate but also tricky. Sometimes you need a certain level to get a badge but you need a badge to promote your character to help them be stronger so they can level up. It’s a fish’s cycle!

There are many nods to Disney and Pixar films (mainly through badges) but the characters you can play as come from a handful of films: Wreck-It-Ralph, The Incredibles, Zootopia, Monsters Inc, Toy Story and Wall-E. Oh, and that Jack Sparrow fellow is hanging around like the creeper he is.

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Gameplay uses energy – but it’s not as restrictive as the disastrous energy scheme of Hogwarts Mystery. You can buy energy with coins and you can buy coins with diamonds. You get diamonds through rewards or you can get some more with your real cash money. Never fear, I have managed to do lots of playing and not pay a cent!

You will unlock lots of extra areas as you play. There is the Arena (where you fight other players’ characters), Trials, City Watch and more. None of these things require energy, although there is a set amount of times you can do them. You can also join a guild. These give you more playing perks!

Disney Heroes: Battle Mode is a fun game – with beautiful graphics – but it gets a little stagnant and repetitive. I hope they will add more heroes (where are the Big Hero 6 characters?) and make the storyline more interesting.

3.5 out of 5 stars

— Tabletop Games —

Sheriff of Nottingham | Tabletop Review

10 July, 2018

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. Alms for the poor? Sheriff of Nottingham is copyright of Arcane Wonders. Images used for reference and commentary.

In Sheriff of Nottingham, you are trying to smuggle contraband past the Sheriff to help the outlaw Robin Hood. Players take turns as the Sheriff, while the others declare what type of legal goods they are bringing to market. The Sheriff must decide whether to inspect their wares or let them pass, based on how shifty looking they are and how probable their story is.

If you are caught red-handed with illegal wares, they are confiscated and you pay a fine to the Sheriff. If the Sheriff checks and there is no funny business, then you get some hush money to keep you from blabbing that he done goofed. It is possible to slip the Sheriff some coin to easy along the procedure. They must decide whether to take it and let you pass or refuse it and check your wares, because you are clearly suspect.

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This is a hard-core bluffing game. Good luck if you are incapable of lying or have no poker face. You need to be able to bluff and double-bluff. You must also suss out whether your fellow players will think you are legit or full of it. Play it to your advantage, take risks and have fun.

You can choose to play the entire game by only ever declaring legal goods, but how is that going to help Robin Hood? Don’t you want to help the cause? Don’t you? Also, contraband is worth more, so if your opponents get that sweet sweet swag past the Sheriff, while you play it safe, you shall be royally screwed.

Each gameplay is different, depending on the players, suspicion and strategy. A fun game for 3-5 players.

4 out of 5 stars

— Console Games —

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit | Game Review

7 July, 2018

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. Just the almighty need to protect this cinnamon roll! The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is copyright Dontnod Entertainment. Images used for reference and commentary.

This is a short free prequel to the upcoming game Life is Strange 2. It is about Chris Eriksen – a ten year old boy who uses make-believe to get through the harsh realities of life. It is all about escapism and imagination. There is no greater superpower than imagination!

The game is set in the lead-up to Christmas. You play as Chris, a kid who lives alone with his dad. The snowy scenery is gorgeous – and the music is beautiful. It draws you into this small little corner of the world where Chris lives and plays.

Because Chris is so awesome, he has invented his own superhero alter-ego – Captain Spirit. If anyone wants to know, I too have a superhero alter-ego – The Urchin – a hedgehog vigilante who defends the streets in the dead of night! Anyway… Captain Spirit fights against his evil arch nemesis, Mantroid. You must assemble Captain Spirit’s costume, fight bad guys and save the day!

There are several things to do around the house – both magnificent and mundane. Chris has a list of things to do, so make sure you check it if you want to accomplish everything and not miss anything! Some things are annoying to try and find. How hard is it to find some make-up? How hard is it? Where did you hide my make-up, Dad? Geez.

There are lots of things to discover around the house. There is the make-believe stuff, but also the daunting reality, including many things that hint at why things are the way they are for Chris and his dad.

Tip: Don’t wake up Chris’ dad unless you want to expedite the game’s end before you have had a chance to do all the things.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is a sweet but serious mini game, which will give you a taste for what to expect in Life is Strange 2. I have not played Life is Strange yet, but Captain Spirit has left me wanting to give it a go.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is available for free on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

3 out of 5 stars

— Tabletop Games —

Love Letter | Tabletop Review

3 July, 2018

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. But the Princess loves me, so there! Love Letter is copyright of Seji Kanai and AEG. Images used are for reference and commentary.

Love Letter is a travel-sized card game for 2-4 players…but a 2 player game is a dud game. You have been warned. It is fun, quick and easy to learn and play. Gameplay averages at 20 minutes.

In Love Letter, players vie for the attention of Princess Anette. The goal of the game is to get your love letter to the Princess without being caught. You are also trying to intercept the letters of other sneaky suitors. The game is a mixture of strategy and luck, and uses a small deck of 16 cards that may help or hinder you and your rivals.

Each player begins the round with one card. On their turn, they draw a second card and choose one to play. For instance, Odette the Guard may interrogate your rivals. If you play her, you must accuse another player of having a certain accomplice.

“Avast, fiend! I know you cavort with the Prince!”

If you are wrong, you look like a bit of a nob, but nothing happens. If you are right, the player must discard the Prince – their letter intercepted – and they are out of the round. The last suitor standing – or the one with the highest valued card at the end of the round – succeeds in getting their letter to the Princess and gains a token of affection. The game ends when one suitor has four tokens of affection and wins the heart of the Princess.

Love letter is a game of luck and deduction. It incorporates some bluffing, but not enough that it will hinder those without a poker face. Just those without a brain. The fact that is is small and compact makes it great for playing on the go, and it is accessible to even the greatest gaming noobs. Remember to read the instruction book inside, not just for the rules but for the rich backstory of all the different characters.

There are many other editions of Love Letter. There is a deluxe edition, with more cards and characters, and many other themed versions of the game. Each edition changes an element to switch up the gameplay, keeping interest fresh and allowing gamers to choose the version that best suits them.

4 out of 5 stars