Sagrannus Gaming: Armello

***Disclaimer – The PC review copy of the featured game was provided by/on behalf of the developer at no cost to the reviewer***
You can see my video on Armello here.

The self-imposed media blackout is over, I can finally see what other people thought. I wonder whether they agree with me. I wonder whether they agree that yet another Australian Indie Game Developer has hit the nail on the head. In fact, this latest nail-head-hitting developer has produced such a cracker of a game, I am tempted to introduce an actual rating system![1]

What am I talking about? Read on and find out…

Armello

Developer: League of Geeks
Publisher: League of Geeks
Genre: Adventure RPG Strategy thing (Interactive Digital Board Game)
Released: September 1, 2015

Now, I want to preface this review with the fact that to me, there is no ‘perfect game.’ Armello does indeed have some flaws, and I will definitely talk about them here  However, much like the flaws of Hand of Fate (y’know, by that other Aussie developer), they are mild niggles made even milder by the spectacular whole that they are part of. One of the resounding impressions one gets when playing Armello is that this is a polished product – one that has been developed with love and care – not something that has been stamped out to make a quick buck. This is something I always look for in a game, and rarely find, to be honest. However, Armello hits the spot for me, in more ways than one.

With a great aesthetic, a solid soundtrack, intuitive gameplay, fun concepts, and charm by the bucketload, Armello is a game I am happy to recommend to anyone from the most casual of gamers all the way through to the hardcore. Note that I am reviewing the PC copy of Armello.

So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

Plot

Welcome to Armello

The King has gone mad, corrupted by ‘the Rot.’ One way or another the problem must be resolved. Regardless of the method of fixing, you take on the role of a member of one of the four clans that are part of the Kingdom of Armello. Your task is to, through a variety of means, secure the throne of Armello. So far, so standard. 

And it really would be so standard as a plot, if it weren’t for two things. Firstly, sorry I forgot to mention this earlier, everyone is an animal. There are eight characters to choose from, two from each of the four clans – Wolf, Bear, Rat, and Rabbit respectively – one of either gender. This, for me, brought back memories of a childhood spent reading Redwall novels by Brian Jacques. Others have suggested (presumably because of the darker themes) that it is like Game of Thrones with animals. To my relief, I didn’t make that particular connection. The second thing that rocks the boat is the gameplay…

Gameplay

Wander through a beautiful world.

I am sure others have asked this but: What is with Australians and card games?

Cards take a key role in Armello, but a different role to that of Hand of Fate. Cards are used as part of the turn-based gameplay, allowing you to buff yourself, gain new equipment and allies, or set traps for and cast spells on your enemies. There are 6 factions within every match: Four contenders for the throne, the King and his Guards, and the Bane – a nasty creature spawned of the Rot. This ensures that every turn involves some action. With this many factions, and the relatively small map, the game is already set to be quite exciting. Factor in the variability of the cards – which can really shake up gameplay - and quests for all the contenders for the throne, and every turn keeps you guessing.[2]

You can play both single player and multiplayer (up to 4) modes, and both are fun. Single player pits you against the AI, which does a reasonable enough job of challenging you. However, the game plays a little bit more slowly, and as you are unable to fast forward the AI turns it can become tedious.[3]

Become the Kingslayer.

However, the multiplayer matches are significantly better, with both a faster pace of play and the added bonus of human unpredictability thrown into the mix. I had fun in single player, but in multiplayer I had a blast. Better still, if it is just you and one friend, the AI can fill the other 2 free slots more than satisfactorily. This is a game that plays best with friends, especially if you are playing within earshot – it is nice to hear someone else screaming loud curses at their misfortune. My one whinge in regards to multiplayer is that even when playing a private match with friends, there is a 30 second countdown, during which everyone must choose their characters and starting equipment. A moment of indecision often leaves you ill-prepared. I get the timer for matches with random player, but with friends it would be nice to have more time.

There is a random event at the start of every day – there is a day/night cycle - wherein the player with the highest Prestige score – Prestige being earned by defeating enemies and completing quests – serves as counsel to the King, and is forced to choose between two generally unsavoury options to inflict upon the entire game world. This is a great feature, as it forces players to choose the lesser of two evils…or not, should the path of cruelty appeal to you.

Choose your hero, and their gear.

As you play you unlock starting bonus gear, which can have a dramatic effect on the way the early game plays.

In regards to in-game equipment and companions, all of which come on cards, you have three slots for gear and three for companions. Further, with the exception of a few special cards, all cards have a use cost. Items, traps, and companions all cost coins, and spells cost magic. All pretty straight forward and intuitive. The Rot shakes up the economy a little, as it has both negative and positive effects. If you have any Rot, you take damage in the morning but get damage bonuses in some fights. If you have so much Rot that you are Corrupted by it, you gain health for every kill, but will die instantly if you step into a magic stone circle.

Speaking of which, the game map is made up on a hex grid. While it is a set size and shape and has the clan bases in each corner and the palace and grounds in the centre, all the other tiles (which include various terrain types as well as settlements, dungeons, and stone circles) are randomly placed at the start of each game. This makes for a nice bit of variation, but after 6+ hours of gameplay, possibly not enough. As you might expect, the different terrain types impact upon movement speeds, and give you various buffs/debuffs when you occupy them – standard, but well executed.

Sometimes, no one wins.

Now, the combat. Oh yes, the combat. It is good – I won’t give it to you blow by blow, as I will demonstrate it in a video – it is great. It is a (fairly) standard attack vs. defence combat system that uses dice rolls to work out the combatants attack and defence. This simple system is very well augmented, however, by the inclusion of the companions, gear, and (of course) the cards. This spices up what could have been a simply functional combat system, and makes it something that is entertaining and keeps the player on edge.

This, of course, leads to one of the biggest points about Armello. It really is like a board game, with plenty relying on chance. This is a strong point for the game. From the cards to the dice rolls the element of chance keeps the adrenaline pumping even after hours of play. Better still, unlike some games that use ‘chance’, Armello gives the impression that everything really is random, and that your good or bad fortune are not contrived or moderated in any way. This, I think, is key to enjoying the game. Even when your luck goes south, you (usually) take it in a light-hearted way. After all, next turn you might get that great armour, or complete your quest, or roll really well.

Expect to do a lot of reading in this game. There is no voice acting, with everything being delivered via text. That said, all the text in Armello is excellently written, and even when in the mood for some pedantry I could find no errors, grammatical or otherwise. The writing is gripping, and keeps up with the pace of the game.

If I had any big criticisms, it was that both I and my fellow tester found that while there was some variation in the maps thanks to the random arrangement of the tiles, it needs more. Perhaps different sized maps, or more diverse tile types would make this better. The other niggle is that the each game’s length is governed by the lifespan of the King, which gradually ticks down over time. While you can lengthen it a little in game, there is nothing in the pre-game settings to allow you to set up longer or shorter games. Hopefully this gets added later, because the desire for longer matches was definitely there when we were testing the game.

The navigation of the screen was at time troublesome on our two test machines. Edge scrolling was iffy at best, with only the left and top sides of the screen detecting mouse pressure at all. WASD navigation was a little better, and click and drag better again, but none of it was consistent or smooth.

The options menu isn’t completely up to snuff either, with little beyond overall visual quality and the resolution customisable. I like my options to be many and varied.

Speaking of graphics…

Graphics

Armello is a looker, no doubt about that. The art style is possibly one of the most cohesive and charming I have seen in an Indie game to date. With bold colours blended with subtle designs, this game is so pretty that I struggled to believe I was playing a $20 Indie game. If the card art had been static, I would have praised it until I was blue in the face. But it wasn’t.

It was better than that…

Collect all the (beautiful) cards.

All the card artwork in the game is animated beautifully. Taking excellent artwork and imbuing it with even more life is another example of the dedication to a polished product on the part of the developer. It is little things like this that make a good game great.  All of the art in the game is spectacular.[4]

The animations are fluid and stylish, and nothing really disappoints. Both I and my fellow tester did note, however, that the fog after effects are not quite right, and left both of us feeling like there was something wrong with our eyes on two separate systems.

As I mentioned before, the limited options menu is a bit of a letdown, as being able to switch off that particular feature would have been good.

I will discuss the graphics in greater detail in my Armello video.

No voiceover? No worries.

  Audio

 Armello’s soundtrack is great. Much like Hand of Fate, the music was always just right, setting the mood perfectly. It matched the action of the game, and never intruded unpleasantly. I am certainly not disappointed that you get the soundtrack with the game.

The other audio elements are of equally high calibre, delivered in a clean and crisp manner. They are not overly flashy or excessive, but are pleasing to the ear, and do not detract from the experience.

As mentioned earlier, Armello does not feature voice acting, but this in no way detracts from the experience.

(Re)Playability

Unpleasant choices abound.

The GUI of Armello, and likewise all the gameplay, is logical and intuitive, making it easy to get into. This is something that indie games often struggle with, but the team at League of Geeks have made an extremely playable game, that didn’t give me even a moment’s paws.[5] The Prologue, which serves as a tutorial, is very well thought out, and covers everything new players need to know, while also telling a good story and thus preventing the tutorial from being boring. It is so well written, in fact, that it leaves you itching to dive into the game. Top marks for that!

While the individual matches are short, this game has plenty of replayable. The chance factor

certainly shakes things up, and once you factor in the 8 different characters, all of their different starting gear, the 4 different victory conditions, and the life extending advantages of solid multiplayer, I can’t see this game getting old any time. Due to the nature of the gameplay, Armello is a game you can come back to time and time again, whether you are looking to round off some more achievements, or just looking to wind down with some friends after a long day.

The charm of Armello only adds even further to the replayability.

Pros	Cons
·         Great art style and animations – very polished	·         Minimalist options menu that is lacking is some areas
·         Very playable, with intuitive interfaces	·         Map navigation is dodgy at best
·         Solid audio work, with a great soundtrack	·         Cannot customise level size or game length
·         Well written, if simple, story	·         Fog effects made my eyes feel funny
·         Inviting aesthetic	·         Aggravated my ‘one-more-turn syndrome’
·         Engaging, adrenaline pumping gameplay	·         Where is the white weasel/stoat/ferret from the launch trailer?
·         You can be a rabbit in a suit of armour!

There are some things we would like to see added to Armello. More characters would be fantastic, probably with more cards to boot. Certainly more control of game length, and the addition of different maps and tiles would be welcome. Beyond that, there isn’t really much more that you can ask for.

Well, except for the white weasel/stoat/ferret from the launch trailer.

Ye gads! A proper tutorial and prologue.

Conclusion

I feel I have said too much already, but I shall say a little more.

Armello is a simple little game that bowls you over with its charm and polish, and sucks you in with a solid story and some brilliant gameplay. The game offers plenty of variation and makes you curse the gods of chance (in a good way). While there are some rough edges, you have to look quite hard for them, and they never detract from the overall impression: that of a game delivered with all the love and dedication one wishes every developer put into their games.

This is a great showing from a new developer, and we can only hope there are more great games to come.

Sagrannus Rating – 8.5/10 (Strongly recommended)

***Disclaimer – The PC review copy of the featured game was provided by/on behalf of the developer at no cost to the reviewer***

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[1] And change my format a little.

[2] In a good way.

[3] I know in my case the phrase “Hurry up, I want another go!” was screamed a few times…

[4] And, if you hold your cursor over a card, you can see who created the art too! Praise where praise is deserved. Good stuff!

[5] Yes, that was deliberate.