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Added: 17.09.2013 16:00 | 4 views | 0 comments
I have to admit; I'm rather shocked and mystified by Valkyrie Crusade. It's a combination collectible card game and town builder, which in itself is an odd match; but both elements support each other a lot better than I'd have expected. So much so, in fact, that it might just be my current freemium favorite despite all the needless issues. The sim elements of Valkyrie Crusade are fairly typical: collect three kinds of resources (gold, ether, and iron) and use them to build/upgrade structures that can gather and store more resources, as well as make incremental changes to the core mechanics. The card side of things is also rather familiar, with "friendship points" earned through befriending other players needed to summon (i.e. buy) more cards, card fusions, evolutions, etc. However, there are a few key differences. Cards used in attack and defensive formations have applicable stats, as expected, but they also have health (represented by "soldiers" for some incredibly odd reason). Different cards have different maximums, and it costs two of all three resources for every one players refill. So when these bizarro health bars get into the thousands, it can be quite expensive to keep everyone topped-off. Totally worth it, though, as the more durable a unit is the longer it should take for them to get knocked out in battle. |
Added: 16.09.2013 22:00 | 3 views | 0 comments
For the most part, tanks have found a home among large-scale multiplayer games, thanks to games like World of Tanks. Players who've desired a more isolated and casual trip on these militaristic vehicles of destruction have frequently been the recipients of bad news. Fortunately, Codemasters has delivered Boom! Tanks, a one-on-one single player tank battle game. Hardcore tank battle fans may scoff at its simplicity, but that same element is also its greatest charm. Boom! Tanks adapts to its mobile platform by taking movement out of the player's hands. At first, it seems odd to have a game about mobile cannons that limits mobility. However, the end result is much more fulfilling because of it. Players are given control of their tank's turret. Each of the one-on-one battles is broken up into two stages: aiming and firing. The aiming stage requires players to drag a reticle over the opposing tank and hold it until the sights are locked in. How quick the aiming phase goes determines how accurate and damaging the shots will be during the firing stage. Firing is a simple process of waiting for the ammo to load, then tapping the screen when the black marker is in the center of the sights. Both the player and enemy tanks follow these phases simultaneously, making the entire process feel like a heavy-duty Wild West shootout. |
Added: 16.09.2013 21:00 | 4 views | 0 comments
There's nothing worse than a gang of samurai thugs who appear in your peaceful rabbit village and abscond with your stockpile of carrots. Seriously--rabbits like carrots! So if such an unthinkable horror were to actually happen, the good of your ninja rabbit clan at stake, what would you do? Why, you'd unleash the coolest sword-wielding cottontail since Usagi Yojimbo, of course. The ruthless Shogun Moe is to blame for the robbery of your beloved vegetables, and over five stages packed with plenty of enemy types, an exciting array of weapons to suit differing play styles, and tons of upgrades, Ninjin will stealthily slice its way into your heart and parts beyond. The story of Ninjin is presented with lovingly crafted cutscenes courtesy of Brazilian developer Pocket Trap. The story is straightforward to the point that we don't actually need them, but they're a welcome addition to the overall package. Pocket Trap obviously has respect for ninja traditions and heritage (you even turn into a log when you die!) and has done a wonderful job in conveying the magnitude of the situation. In other words, there is no worse fate to befall a clan of rabbits than the loss of carrots, and for whatever reason, Shogun Moe is really serious about putting everything he can in your way.
Though early stages provide lots of frustrating moments as you adjust to the enemy patterns, gameplay mechanics are easily learned and unbelievably smooth once mastered. A virtual joystick allows the player to pitch up and down the playing field, while a virtual button handles your equipment: the sword and shuriken. A tap of the button slashes with your blade while a slide throws your razor-sharp projectiles. Perhaps the coolest part of this "button" is the ability to aim the direction of your swipe which translates into which direction your star will fly. |
Added: 16.09.2013 19:20 | 10 views | 0 comments
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FDG Entertainment and Exe Create have officially confirmed today that , and as a result, we can't tell you too many details about the exciting return to one of mobile gaming's greatest RPG worlds: aside from a single sentence game description that promises 20 hours of engrossing RPG gameplay, including "environmental puzzles, 4 playable characters, diversified action, spells, boss monsters, and a huge world to explore." Thankfully, the debut gameplay trailer is much less mysterious, giving us our very first glimpse of Across Age 2 in all of its retro-inspired action. From sailing on giant galleons across the sea and firing cannonballs at the unruly underwater creatures that get in your way, to sidestepping around cracks in a dungeon floor that burst with hot lava, it seems that no terrain is off limits for this long-awaited mobile sequel. Across Age 2 will be headed to iOS devices "this Winter 2013/2014," so be sure to keep checking back on Gamezebo until then for all of the latest updates on all things concerning your favorite 2D pixelated retro extravaganza. |
Added: 16.09.2013 15:00 | 1 views | 0 comments
There's always an alligator, there's always water, and there's always dirt separating the two. The infinite loop of Swampy's bath time in was charming and challenging, generously packed with levels and updates that made its 99 cent price tag an absolute steal. Its first non-spin-off, direct sequel, Where's My Water? 2, has slashed that initial price down to nothing, but actually costs much more: players' time, trust, and patience have been sold down the freemium river. The good news: if you like any of Disney's Where's My games, there's plenty more to love here. Where's My Water? 2 plays out like all of its predecessors: swipe trenches in dirt to direct water to its destination. Along the way, you'll need to activate switches, avoid acid, collect duckies, and complete many other puzzle-based maneuvers. Swampy is still our primary water-target, waiting patiently for his bath to runneth over, but both Cranky and Allie have been upgraded from bonus level pack characters to main game integrations. Cranky's ducks and goal require acid instead of water, and Allie is still in need of steam to power her pipe organ. Their levels now appear alongside Swampy's, providing a refreshing change of pace for players who get bored with alligator monogamy. While playing with Cranky and Allie will be a new experience to players who dropped Where's My Water? before 2012, the basic puzzles in Where's My Water? 2 will not be. Very few changes have been introduced, and many levels feel more redundant than nostalgic. There are pipes and switches, acid and quick-growing weeds, nozzles and movable platforms. Despite the introduction of an overworld map and "locations" like the Soap Factory, every stage still takes place underground. When playing the first iteration of a level, veteran players will rarely encounter something new. Thankfully, every level features multiple iterations, known as Challenges. Completing the basic version of a level will unlock the next one on the map--allowing for forward progress--as well as the first Challenge available in the finished level. Challenges play out like a standard level, but take place on the same stage and contain special rules. For instance, on an "Avoid It" stage variation, you must get the water/acid/steam to its destination without collecting any duckies. On "Driller" stages, you can dig through rock but are not allowed to use switches or pipes. And on "Melody" stages, you must collect five music notes in a specified order instead of the three rubber ducks. There are an impressive number of other Challenge types, and all are a fantastic addition to Where's My Water? 2; they provide fun variations on each stage as well as unique mechanical changes to the series as a whole. |
Added: 13.09.2013 23:00 | 9 views | 0 comments
I've played my fair share of dungeon-crawling roguelikes, with their turn-based tales of slow, tight progression, treasure a-plenty, and endless floors of bloodthirsty enemies. Heroes of Loot, then, is something just that little bit different - it's essentially what happens when you cross a roguelike with a twin-stick shoot 'em up. As it turns out, this is quite the recipe for success. Heroes of Loot is fast-paced, frantic, exciting, and perfect for picking up, having a quick blast, and then going back to your daily routine - or, you know, just playing over and over again for an hour or three. If you enjoy your dungeon-crawlers, you should get a load of this. You are one of four heroes, sent into a never-ending dungeon to create a bit of a rabble. By killing enemies and grabbing gold, you'll attract more and more baddies to the dungeon, and make it far more dangerous. Which is apparently a good thing, according to the dungeon owner! The dungeons are randomly generated, such that each playthrough is different - as you'd expect from a dungeon-crawler. What you might not expect, however, is that the game plays out completely in real-time. That is, there's no turn-based action here; instead, the enemies are constantly approaching, and you'll have to fight them off twin-stick style. |
Added: 13.09.2013 21:00 | 4 views | 0 comments
Simplicity, elegance, and challenge: the three features developer Graveck has emphasized in their latest gaming excursion, Strata. The one-touch gameplay of this minimalist-designed puzzler will take only seconds to learn, and after its brief tutorial, Strata no longer feels like a mere game. It is a mesmerizing, soothing exercise of both mental dexterity and artistic creation, built on fluid interactions with the player that embody Graveck's three goals entirely. Strata's objective is simple: weave colored ribbons through a grid to complete the pattern. Each opening of the grid must be filled by a ribbon, and ribbons travel in a straight line once placed, exiting the opposite side. This means that on a 3x3 grid, you will weave six total strips of ribbon to fill each opening. The only other rule in play requires any colored block on the grid to end up with its same-colored ribbon on top. Because you are cross weaving, this means the second ribbon to cross a block will be on top; to successfully complete a blue block, for instance, you can cross it with any color first, but must use a blue ribbon on the second crossover. These minimal rules create a usually straightforward solution on smaller, two-colored levels when choices are limited, but Strata quickly ups the ante by increasing the number of colored ribbons--up to four--and grid sizes--up to 5x5. The options on a 5x5 level, where you must weave ten separate ribbons through up to 25 blocks, are extensive, and often nine seemingly correctly placed ribbons can be foiled by the very last one. Thankfully, undoing your last action or series of actions is as easy as touching the ribbons in play, although completing a level without a single undo will earn you a "perfect," the only system of scoring present. |
Added: 13.09.2013 18:20 | 3 views | 0 comments
First things first: If you're older than two decades' worth of gaming, then you should be informed right off the bat that this has nothing to do with over lava pools as you (attempt to) skewer pterodactyls and collect fallen eggs. No, Joust Legends is about the actual sport of jousting from the middle ages. 1472, in fact, as the King of France has laid down the challenge before England's King Edward IV. The goal is to exhibit the finest warriors these two nations have to offer, and defend their honor in the process. But before that, there is the matter of the King's Trials: A series of jousting tournaments devoted to finding the finest warrior in the land to represent Edward and England effectively. |
