Game: Adventure Quest
Publisher: Artix Entertainment
Download or web based: Web-based
What you get if you pay: A one time fee for Guardian status can be purchased to unlock many weapons and quests. Z-tokens can also be purchased for many rare weapons, pets, and pieces of equipment.
Review: Adventure Quest takes place in a fantasy world called Lore. The residents of Lore vary from simple humans to walking lizards to rabbit-like Moglins. These beings live in the many lands and cities of Lore. Mountainous regions, seaside ports, and monster filled deserts are all reached from the starting village of Battleon.
Quests are avaliable at almost any level and outnumber the varied species. From short hunt-and-kill quests to elaborate travels across the land following a familiar looking Frogzard hunter. Monsters can also be attacked individually without undertaking a quest to gain experience, gold, or just satisfy the urge to kill things.
Elements play an important role in combat. Weapons, armor, spells, and shields all are strong in one or more elemental atritbute. Enemies can be strong or weak in elements as well. Finding out what element is needed to maximize damage given or minimize damage received is accomplished by looking at the foe's in-match status screen. Weapons and other equipment can be quickly swapped during battle to allow for the best setup possible with items on hand. Pets from the pet shop can be switched in battle as well to enhance elemental damage.
Combat is a single screen, limited animation, turn-based encounter. Any game controlled companions of the player will randomly attack or not in the same turn as the player themselves. This includes any pets or quest related characters along for the ride.
Rating: 6/10 Despite the simple visuals and limited animations AQ is very enjoyable. The quests allow for a wide variety of gameplay options. The limited weapons allowed to free players is a slight hinderance but not enough to limit play of the game.
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Neo Steam
Game: Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent
Publisher: Atlus Online
Download or web based: Download
What you get if you pay: Packages that increase experience gained. Crowns can also be purchased and used to buy customizing items as well as consumables that boost various stats.
Review: The game takes place on Chrysalis, a steampunk universe with war being waged between two nations fighting over the ancient technology of Neo Steam. The Republic of Rogwel believes in advancing technology to betterment of all. The Kingdom of Elerd wishes to promote a more ecological path, preferring to use the energy of Neo Steam to heal the environment.
Both nations are home to many races, some that are remnants of a former Taxn Alliance. Elves, Humans, and the wolf-like Lupine are common sights. There are also the Pom, a mechanically inclined race that resembles walking bundles of fluff.
There are many targets available for combat and numerous quests to defeat them. Besides the main story line quests there is a character that has lists of quests to help various residents of the towns. There is also the option of attacking players or characters from the opposing nation. This means that outposts of one's own nation may be attacked at any time with quest related characters falling in the melee. They will reappear after a time, assuming the enemy players have been defeated or moved on.
A small pet can be evolved and trained to use skills that assist their owner. Attacking, healing, and teleporting their boss to town are just a few.
Skills are gained and improved by spending Skill Points and Training Points. One Skill Point is used each time a skill is learned or increased. Training Points are spent in increasing amounts depending on the level of the skill, the higher the level, the more Training Points required. While both Skill and Training Points are gained each time a character levels Training Points can also be acquired by using training stations outside the gates of major towns.
Moving between towns and outposts is accomplished a couple of different ways. Balloons can ridden to outposts and other regions in the field. A subway system is used to move from town to town. The subway system uses a traditional train or a one person submarine depending on the destination.
Rating: 8/10 The variety of foes and quests makes for long hours of play without any loss of interest. The training stations are a great way to utilize the downtime required for minor things like eating, sleeping, and bathroom breaks. While having one's pet out and assisting can make leveling it faster it does require a large amount of food to keep them happy and active.
Publisher: Atlus Online
Download or web based: Download
What you get if you pay: Packages that increase experience gained. Crowns can also be purchased and used to buy customizing items as well as consumables that boost various stats.
Review: The game takes place on Chrysalis, a steampunk universe with war being waged between two nations fighting over the ancient technology of Neo Steam. The Republic of Rogwel believes in advancing technology to betterment of all. The Kingdom of Elerd wishes to promote a more ecological path, preferring to use the energy of Neo Steam to heal the environment.
Both nations are home to many races, some that are remnants of a former Taxn Alliance. Elves, Humans, and the wolf-like Lupine are common sights. There are also the Pom, a mechanically inclined race that resembles walking bundles of fluff.
There are many targets available for combat and numerous quests to defeat them. Besides the main story line quests there is a character that has lists of quests to help various residents of the towns. There is also the option of attacking players or characters from the opposing nation. This means that outposts of one's own nation may be attacked at any time with quest related characters falling in the melee. They will reappear after a time, assuming the enemy players have been defeated or moved on.
A small pet can be evolved and trained to use skills that assist their owner. Attacking, healing, and teleporting their boss to town are just a few.
Skills are gained and improved by spending Skill Points and Training Points. One Skill Point is used each time a skill is learned or increased. Training Points are spent in increasing amounts depending on the level of the skill, the higher the level, the more Training Points required. While both Skill and Training Points are gained each time a character levels Training Points can also be acquired by using training stations outside the gates of major towns.
Moving between towns and outposts is accomplished a couple of different ways. Balloons can ridden to outposts and other regions in the field. A subway system is used to move from town to town. The subway system uses a traditional train or a one person submarine depending on the destination.
Rating: 8/10 The variety of foes and quests makes for long hours of play without any loss of interest. The training stations are a great way to utilize the downtime required for minor things like eating, sleeping, and bathroom breaks. While having one's pet out and assisting can make leveling it faster it does require a large amount of food to keep them happy and active.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Far Wilds
Game: The Far Wilds
Publisher: Code Collective
Download or web based: Either. Can be played on web only, but has better graphics and sounds if downloaded.
What you get if you pay: Gold can be purchased and used to buy packs of cards or individual cards themselves.
Review: Far Wilds is a turn based strategy game in which the player tries to defeat their opponent on the battlefield. The ultimate goal is to defeat opponents and become powerful enough to be a major in the “kingdom” of The Far Wilds.
Victory in each battle can be obtained by gaining 20 “Glory.” Glory is gained by controlling more “flux wells” than the opponent. Constructing bases and other buildings near flux wells places them in the player's control, as long as the opponent doesn't also have a building in range. If both combatants have buildings close to a flux well then neither controls it.
Controlling flux wells also produces the energy required to call forth the army of characters held in the player's hand. Spells that enhance or weaken characters on the field are also available. The exact nature of the spells varies from race to race in the Far Wilds universe.
Three default army decks can be used upon starting with temporary bonus cards won from victories over computer opponents. These can be used in tournaments. Victory in tournaments earns gold which can be used to purchase other cards and packs. This is an alternative option to purchasing the gold directly.
Rating: 7/10 While the graphics aren't all that wonderful playing the game web-based, the downloaded version's 3D look is fantastic. Being able to play against computer opponents with varying difficulties allows for a newer player to get a feel for the game and develop a few strategies. With varying opponent decks and terrains the variety of game play is almost endless. Sealed deck tournaments and matches are also available that put new and experienced players on equal footing with unseen cards to build their decks from.
Publisher: Code Collective
Download or web based: Either. Can be played on web only, but has better graphics and sounds if downloaded.
What you get if you pay: Gold can be purchased and used to buy packs of cards or individual cards themselves.
Review: Far Wilds is a turn based strategy game in which the player tries to defeat their opponent on the battlefield. The ultimate goal is to defeat opponents and become powerful enough to be a major in the “kingdom” of The Far Wilds.
Victory in each battle can be obtained by gaining 20 “Glory.” Glory is gained by controlling more “flux wells” than the opponent. Constructing bases and other buildings near flux wells places them in the player's control, as long as the opponent doesn't also have a building in range. If both combatants have buildings close to a flux well then neither controls it.
Controlling flux wells also produces the energy required to call forth the army of characters held in the player's hand. Spells that enhance or weaken characters on the field are also available. The exact nature of the spells varies from race to race in the Far Wilds universe.
Three default army decks can be used upon starting with temporary bonus cards won from victories over computer opponents. These can be used in tournaments. Victory in tournaments earns gold which can be used to purchase other cards and packs. This is an alternative option to purchasing the gold directly.
Rating: 7/10 While the graphics aren't all that wonderful playing the game web-based, the downloaded version's 3D look is fantastic. Being able to play against computer opponents with varying difficulties allows for a newer player to get a feel for the game and develop a few strategies. With varying opponent decks and terrains the variety of game play is almost endless. Sealed deck tournaments and matches are also available that put new and experienced players on equal footing with unseen cards to build their decks from.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Free Realms
Game: Free Realms
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Download or web based: Web-based, but requires an installer to be downloaded.
What you get if you pay: Packs of cards for the trading card min-game.
Review: Free Realms is a fantasy game with a storyline that ties together many types of mini-games and areas of play. Various “jobs” are avaliable and can be changed between on the fly.
Rating: 3/10 Gorgeous graphics. However this leads to rough gameplay and can cause problems with the patience levels of those in the target age range. Requiring frequent load times for mini-games and to update the view when traveling leads to much waiting instead of playing. This game would be greatly improved by making it a medium sized download game instead of the constant loading of small packets again and again.
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Download or web based: Web-based, but requires an installer to be downloaded.
What you get if you pay: Packs of cards for the trading card min-game.
Review: Free Realms is a fantasy game with a storyline that ties together many types of mini-games and areas of play. Various “jobs” are avaliable and can be changed between on the fly.
Rating: 3/10 Gorgeous graphics. However this leads to rough gameplay and can cause problems with the patience levels of those in the target age range. Requiring frequent load times for mini-games and to update the view when traveling leads to much waiting instead of playing. This game would be greatly improved by making it a medium sized download game instead of the constant loading of small packets again and again.
Monday, June 15, 2009
9Dragons
Game: 9 Dragons
Publisher: Acclaim
Download or web based: Download
What you get if you pay: Acclaim coins can be purchased and exchanged for items that boost attack or increase experience gained.
Review: 9Dragons takes place during Ming Dynasty Japan, a period of war between many clans. When creating a character one of the 6 clan homes can be chosen as a starting area. Three clans specialize in healing and helping the NPC villagers and three are out to support themselves by any means necessary.
Each clan teaches techniques taken from many kung-fu martial arts. Wu-Tang hand and sword fighting and drunken battle methods are each taught. When techniques are used proficiency in them increases allowing for longer attack combinations and more damage dealt. This also allows for more techniques to be learned from clan training centers.
Shaolin monks and Sacred Flower assassins are the only clans with any specific requirements to join. Applicants to the Shaolin monks must be male characters while the Sacred Flower assassins will only accept females.
As each clan has its own combat style it they also each have their own wardrobes. This makes identifying friendly clans easier as well as knowing whether or not a passing individual will be helpful as healer or for bashing foes in the face.
Self healing is accomplished via medicines taken during combat or meditation between battles. The exact look and motions for meditation varies from clan to clan.
Rating: 8/10 Graphics are smooth and combat is varied enough to not be boring with extended play. Wonderful scenery in small enough areas to not cause major amounts of lag from over-occupation yet large enough to not need constant loading while traveling. An easy tutorial animation could be a little more interactive but doesn't drag out long enough to cause a loss of interest.
Publisher: Acclaim
Download or web based: Download
What you get if you pay: Acclaim coins can be purchased and exchanged for items that boost attack or increase experience gained.
Review: 9Dragons takes place during Ming Dynasty Japan, a period of war between many clans. When creating a character one of the 6 clan homes can be chosen as a starting area. Three clans specialize in healing and helping the NPC villagers and three are out to support themselves by any means necessary.
Each clan teaches techniques taken from many kung-fu martial arts. Wu-Tang hand and sword fighting and drunken battle methods are each taught. When techniques are used proficiency in them increases allowing for longer attack combinations and more damage dealt. This also allows for more techniques to be learned from clan training centers.
Shaolin monks and Sacred Flower assassins are the only clans with any specific requirements to join. Applicants to the Shaolin monks must be male characters while the Sacred Flower assassins will only accept females.
As each clan has its own combat style it they also each have their own wardrobes. This makes identifying friendly clans easier as well as knowing whether or not a passing individual will be helpful as healer or for bashing foes in the face.
Self healing is accomplished via medicines taken during combat or meditation between battles. The exact look and motions for meditation varies from clan to clan.
Rating: 8/10 Graphics are smooth and combat is varied enough to not be boring with extended play. Wonderful scenery in small enough areas to not cause major amounts of lag from over-occupation yet large enough to not need constant loading while traveling. An easy tutorial animation could be a little more interactive but doesn't drag out long enough to cause a loss of interest.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Astro Empires
Game: Astro Empires
Publisher: AstroEmpires.com
Download or web based: Web
What you get if you pay: Ads removed from game pages, limits raised on build and research queues and limits removed for number of bases and advanced buildings.
Review: Galactic exploration and exploitation are the basic goals of Astro Empires. Building essential buildings and shipyards allows for fleets of space crafts and planetary defenses. All is accomplished in a largely text-based fashion.
Rating: 2/10 There is little to do and even less to see early in the game while buildings are raised and early research is accomplished. After that fleets can be launched to other planets and more waiting can be done.
Publisher: AstroEmpires.com
Download or web based: Web
What you get if you pay: Ads removed from game pages, limits raised on build and research queues and limits removed for number of bases and advanced buildings.
Review: Galactic exploration and exploitation are the basic goals of Astro Empires. Building essential buildings and shipyards allows for fleets of space crafts and planetary defenses. All is accomplished in a largely text-based fashion.
Rating: 2/10 There is little to do and even less to see early in the game while buildings are raised and early research is accomplished. After that fleets can be launched to other planets and more waiting can be done.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Evony
Game: Evony
Publisher: Evony
Download or web based: Web
What you get if you pay: Game Coins can be purchased and used to buy a large variety of items to speed construction, increase gold or resource production, and boost hired heroes.
Review: Evony is a real-time Civilization style game. A military force must be developed after much research and building construction. Units vary from basic workers that are good for little more than carrying supplies to ballistas that hurl things at enemy defenses. The strength and availability of individual units depends on what buildings are present and what technologies have been discovered. Defenses can bee built from the city wall as it is upgraded. Simple traps, wooden barricades, and piles of stones to roll over attackers can all be used.
Resources like food, iron, stone, and lumber are collected from spaces outside the city walls yet still a part of the town itself. The number of possible collection points is dependent on the upgrade level of the town hall.
Additional cities can be built on empty “Flats” or conquering already established cities of enemies. If a player only has one city it cannot be conquered however. Plundering of someone's single city is possible though.
Community is very important as alliance members can be called upon for support when low on resources or under attack by a large enemy force.
For the first week new players are under “Beginner's Protection” which allows them time to get established without being attacked and their hard earned resources plundered.
Rating: 4/10 As the game progresses it takes more and more time to build and upgrade town constructions. This makes it less of a game and more like something that gets checked once or twice a day. I'm not an English major, but some of the text could use a much better translator.
Publisher: Evony
Download or web based: Web
What you get if you pay: Game Coins can be purchased and used to buy a large variety of items to speed construction, increase gold or resource production, and boost hired heroes.
Review: Evony is a real-time Civilization style game. A military force must be developed after much research and building construction. Units vary from basic workers that are good for little more than carrying supplies to ballistas that hurl things at enemy defenses. The strength and availability of individual units depends on what buildings are present and what technologies have been discovered. Defenses can bee built from the city wall as it is upgraded. Simple traps, wooden barricades, and piles of stones to roll over attackers can all be used.
Resources like food, iron, stone, and lumber are collected from spaces outside the city walls yet still a part of the town itself. The number of possible collection points is dependent on the upgrade level of the town hall.
Additional cities can be built on empty “Flats” or conquering already established cities of enemies. If a player only has one city it cannot be conquered however. Plundering of someone's single city is possible though.
Community is very important as alliance members can be called upon for support when low on resources or under attack by a large enemy force.
For the first week new players are under “Beginner's Protection” which allows them time to get established without being attacked and their hard earned resources plundered.
Rating: 4/10 As the game progresses it takes more and more time to build and upgrade town constructions. This makes it less of a game and more like something that gets checked once or twice a day. I'm not an English major, but some of the text could use a much better translator.
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