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.

The Replayability Dilemma

Before we kick off, please note that I am using footnotes to augment this article. Also, I have included screenshots of games I find particularly replayable (or not) for the sake of a bit of colour.

The Replayability Dilemma

This article was inspired by the Co-Optional Podcast, and as such I do heartily recommend readers also have a watch of that.

Hearing a commentator who I greatly respect talk about what he considered to be replayable games got me thinking. Replayability is something that I factor into my reviews and discussion on video games, in part because a lot of developers these days make a big deal about how replayable their games are. So this begs the question, is replayability quantifiable, and if so, how do we evaluate it? I thought I would have a bit of a discussion on the matter, and tie things up with a case study of sorts.

What is replayability?

Quite obviously, replayability concerns how likely a game is going to be replayed after the initial play-through. Developers *cough*BioWare*cough* often make a big song and dance about how replayable their latest game is, and how players will immerse themselves in the game over and over again. It seems that the industry wants players to believe that games that are replayable are better value for money.

SM Railroads! Dozens of hours.

Value for money in any form of entertainment is very tricky to define. You are paying for an experience, and as such it isn’t like buying bread, or underwear. For example, very few movies are the same length, or cost the same to produce, yet you pay the same amount at the box office for tickets, no matter the film.[1] Video games are much the same, and the equation is made trickier due to the gradual drop in price of games as time passes. After all, is a two year old AAA game that is $30 necessarily going to be worth $50 less that the new AAA game that has come out today for $80? I would argue that no, it isn’t necessarily worth even 5 cents less, the issue is that the economies of scale and time influence price but not necessarily value.

So, when a new game comes out developers (and publishers) want people to buy it then for the $80, rather than wait for a sale, or for time to pass and drop the price. This is because they are businesses and need to make a profit. The more you pay for a game, the more they make. Quid pro quo.

Therefore the blanket question of What is replayability? needs to be broken down a bit more and examined. There are various forms of replayability, and they all get played for marketing.

Types of Replayability

I will attempt to lay out some broad themes of replayability as follows:

Choices – One way which a number of developers try to create replayability is to create a large number of diverse choices which the player can make as they play. The idea behind this is fairly logical, players will want to play the game again to see what happens when they make different choices. Ultimately it seems to work fairly well as a way of getting people to replay game.[2]

Just Cause 2: Tonnes of content done right.

Content, Content, Content! – Some developers think that packing the game world with huge amounts of quests, items, events, and such like will improve replayability. This only really works if your player-base is either anal-retentive, or is a firm believer in Pokemon taglines. The Borderlands franchise is a chief offender in this regard and I have this to say: You know what, I don’t care about the 50 bazillion guns I didn’t use, find, or earn. I don’t give a flying f*** about them – quality over quantity, please!
Ahem…as I was saying, content dumping can work very well, or very badly. The Elder Scrolls, for example, often does it extremely well. The game worlds of that franchise are jam-packed with stuff to do, sights to see, things to make, but never do they seem cluttered – the world breathes; it feels natural rather than contrived.[3] On the flipside are behemoths like Dragon Age: Inquisition (it is gonna get a big chat later on in this article). Yes, lovely world building, but too much dross. So much dross in fact that it invalidated one of the lauded new game mechanics – the horse riding.[4] Further, it had all the grind factor of an MMO, without the social element that makes grinding in an MMO almost bearable.[5]

Bethesda gets it right.

Immersion & Story – This is, in my opinion, the best type. The game might contain other elements
like choices or endless f***ing content, but what keeps pulling you back under is the way the story is told. The story might be hilarious, or it might tug your heartstrings over and over again, or maybe the world is just amazing to wander around in (Skyrim, Cyrodiil, or anywhere in The Witcher). Whatever it is, I think this works excellently for the same reason that people re-watch films or TV shows until their HDD cracks the sh*ts purely for some originality, or they re-read a book until the words have been worn off the page.[6] People love a good story, so games that deliver one do well, and deservedly so.

Those are my top three, and the ones that stand out.

So, that is something of a rough idea of some ways that replayability can be created, with varying levels of effectiveness. Now, let us get our hands dirty with some investigation…

Case Study – Dragon Age: Inquisition

This is not a review of the game, although I will express my opinions on it. I will primarily be looking at elements of the game that contribute to its replayability.

One of the things that puzzled me about Inquisition was the way they simultaneously pushed the ideas that it was reeeeeallllyyyyyy looooooong and also very replayable. Why did that puzzle me? Because I didn’t really think that a Dragon Age story would be both amazing enough to get me to play it for 90+ hours and also play it through again.

I was right.

Immersion killing hair and animations.

My first (and only complete) playthrough of Inquisition came in at around 100 hours. In that, I certainly missed some side quests and probably some special gear as well. However, I felt that I had immersed myself pretty well, and got a good feeling for the game. So, 100 hours of my life used, I sat back and wondered about replaying it. Sure, trying a different race would be interesting (although the changes, even in the dialogue, are rather cosmetic in nature), but beyond a few things in the early game, there were no choices that I could make in the mid to late game that would justify me playing through another 100 or so hours. What about the different classes? Well, my enquiring subconscious, they are basically the same as they have always been in Dragon Age, and they were simply cherry picked amalgamations of Dungeons & Dragons classes anyway.

For me there was no good reason to replay the game even once, let alone several times. Even if I were to ignore the rather average combat, hours of grinding[7], and glitches, the story was not good enough to justify it, and the choices that I was actually interested in were few and far between. For me, this is an issue I have had with all the Dragon Age games. I can replay Neverwinter Nights or Mass Effect until the proverbial cows come home, but when it comes to Dragon Age I just don’t care.

One of the big problems is the length. Given how many games are under 10 hours long but cost the same as Inquisition, surely the 90+ campaign was value for money enough as it is. I would like to point out that a long story isn’t by definition a good story – in this case a long story padded out heavily with grinding and mind-numbing Ubisoft-watchtower-esque activities certainly isn’t by definition a good story. BioWare were going for an epic. I’ve read epics. The Iliad is quite good but by all the gods I wouldn’t dive back in and re-read it. BioWare wanted you to love the epic-length

Charming, but not quite...

story, but also wanted you to replay it as much as the much, much, much shorter Mass Effect 2.[8] This was a problem. The story was good, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t that good.[9]

Next was the grinding. MMOs use grinding because achieving high levels is a big thing in those sorts of games, and they need to keep people playing for as long as possible because that is how MMOs make their money. Inquisition is a single player game, the money is made when the game is bought, not when random person #5471639 has been playing for 6 months, desperately trying to find more f***ing Elfroot. It wasn’t necessary, and just felt like excessive padding used to justify the at times tedious levelling system.

The combat in Dragon Age has never been stellar, and Inquisition was no exception. It is clunky, despite its flashy animations, and wears thin pretty fast. I replay Neverwinter Nights 2[10] because despite the clunkiness, it is honest. You can literally see the D&D game running as you play, see the dice-rolls, and the turn-based origins of the game. That is part of its charm. I replay Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (in part) because its combat is fun, fast, and frantic – what I look for if combat is going to determine my replays. Inquisition is neither particularly honest about its Origins[11], nor does it have the fun and panache of Kingdoms of Amalur. The combat is not going to get me coming back for seconds – it was the over-boiled cabbage of the meal the first time through.

Look, a label! And a glowing outline.

The world was pretty, and rather diverse. That said, that is true of Minecraft as well, with Minecraft worlds having the added advantage of being randomly generated. Having a pretty world with lovely skyboxes falls into the same basket as pretty graphics and animations for me. They are garnishes. If the meal is a steaming pile, then it doesn’t matter that you have garnished it with a beautiful lemon, dill, and yoghurt sauce, because I am still going to taste the steaming pile. Also, games with pretty worlds are a dime a dozen[12] these days, and so unless it really stands out, which Inquisition’s doesn’t, it isn’t worth much. The pretty graphics are also let down by the weirdness of BioWare facial animations, and BioWare hair. 
Inquisition's Thedas doesn’t feel like an open world, and I never felt the excitement of exploration – I mostly just was annoyed at how long it was going to take me to get to my next objective. If you want great worlds to explore look at anything from Bethesda – whatever other flaws their games may have, they know how to build a damn good world. BioWare, on the other hand, are better at set pieces, and that shows when they try to make these expansive maps. The palace in Orlais was far more interesting than, for example, the Western Approach.

Bethesda get's it right again.

Then, of course are the soul-crushingly long loading times. I accept that there is alot to load, but plenty of other 'big' games can manage without taking so long that I can play a level of Angry Birds on my phone while I wait. Worse still are the immersion breaking labels on everything. Other games also have labels, but do it in such a way that they don't intrude on the game world. Little niggles count against replayability, they really do.

I could go on and on for almost as long as a playthrough of Inquisition, but I feel my point is made. Inquisition was too long, too padded, too clunky, and had too average a story to be replayable. If # of hours played = value for money in your mind, then Inquisition is for you.[13]

As for me? Well, I am going to go and re-read some Terry Pratchett, and replay Mafia II for the 20^th time.

P.S. I will conceded, in a first for the Dragon Age series, the music is great. In fact, it outshines the rest of the game at times.

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[1] This, obviously, assumes that you are going to the same cinema every time, and ignores any special discounts for specific days of the week.

[2] I do have some caveats though, more on this later.

[3] Guild Wars 2 is another example of lots of content done well.

[4] Yahtzee covers the many irritating quirks of DA:I this in his ZeroPunctuation episode.

[5] I don’t like grinding, got a problem?

[6] This totally happens. Completely legit.

[7] Both types, this is a BioWare game after all.

[8] Which was a masterpiece.

[9] Also, don’t even get me started on the BS that is BioWare’s habit of putting massive plot points in the DLC of previous games, long after many have gotten sick of throwing money into the bin for DLC. Seriously, cut that shit out.

[10] Shameless self-promotion, watch my Neverwinter Nights 2 videos.

[11] Punning 101.

[12] I’ve stopped counting the clichés.

[13] I promise you though, Minecraft is cheaper and offers even more hours of play. It is the jackpot if that is how you measure value.

Sagrannus Gaming: Hand of Fate

It has been a while since my last post here, and for that I apologise. Studies and YouTube have been rather time consuming.

Today, however, I bring to you my review of Hand of Fate, by Brisbane-based developer Defiant Development.

Hand of Fate - Sourced under fair use from Wikipedia.org

Hand of Fate

Developer: Defiant Development[1]

Publisher: Defiant Development

Genre: Action Role-Playing Game

Released: February 17, 2015

Often, I say as an Australian, the Australian presence within the Video Game Industry is overlooked. This is probably due to a number of reasons. Often, video game companies are multi-national entities, staffed by people from all over the world. Don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderful thing. Further to this, there is the factor of few Australian game companies having a presence on the global radar. Sometimes, Australian Devs aren’t even identified as Australian, instead entirely separated from their nationality. I don’t want to make a big deal of this, but did you know that Pandemic Studios (Destroy All Humans, Dark Reign 2, and Star Wars: Battlefront) had a studio in Brisbane, Australia? And that Medieval II: Total War, was in part developed by the now defunct Australian branch of Sega?[2]

This is neither the time nor the place to discuss the past glories of the Australian Video Game Industry, because there is good news! There is a new(ish) Australian Developer on the scene: Defiant Development. After playing their first PC game, which is self-published, you can certainly believe it when they say that their company is “composed of a veteran team of game developers doing what [they] do best…” The game I am looking at, Hand of Fate, certainly demonstrates that. While certainly not perfect, its charming aesthetic, great voice acting, spot-on soundtrack, and innovative gameplay earn it a place up there with the best of Indie games.

So, let’s dive right in shall we?

Plot

The Dealer greets thee.

The plot, while a player could ignore it in favour of the gameplay, is drip-fed perfectly through the excellent character that is the Dealer. Hints and allusions to past events fill the game, but leave enough unsaid to let the player fill in the blanks to their own satisfaction.

The plot certainly is not the lynchpin of the game, but is not so absent as to be detrimental.

Gameplay

This is where Hand of Fate plays one of its strongest hands (ha ha). Combining Action-RPG combat (feeling like a simplified version of Batman: Arkham Asylum, or Shadow of Mordor) with a well thought out card game, and some elements of choose your own adventure game. When you read that, it sounds like a mess, but by golly it isn’t. Defiant have executed this combo in such a way that it feels balanced, and is very immersive. You find yourself hankering for the next fight, despite the somewhat clunky feel of the combat. The massive variety of cards, and the sub-plots that exist therein, pull the player in deeper. For the special cards that have a broad spectrum of stories to tell, the player (if successful) is awarded with tokens that then unlock new cards for further games. There is a strong element of chance involved as one has to often play the game’s equivalent of “Find the Lady” to determine success or failure (and varieties of each) for certain actions within the game. The entire game is narrated and commented upon by the nameless dealer who the player plays with/against, but more on the dealer later.

Rising from the cards to fight.

As mentioned before, the combat is clunky. Whilst it models itself upon the combat system of AAA games, such as those mentioned above, it fails to be executed as well as them. Its animations certainly do not flow as well as one would like, and often point of connection doesn’t feel precise. The controls are sound, and work well under the hand most of the time, and the combat is by no means unenjoyable or stodgy. It simply lacks the crispness and preciseness that AAA gaming has made us expect of this combat style. However, if one factors in the limitations of Indie development, what Defiant Development achieved here is certainly praiseworthy. The combat, which is primarily melee, is augmented by a variety of special moves that either arise from equipment equipped by the player character or, you guessed it, gained from various cards available within the game.

Victorious once more.

The variety of enemies, and their somewhat varied combat styles, spice up the combat. However, this spiciness is still rather limited, and the combat, whilst solid, does feel a bit repetitive during long play sessions. The varied arenas that combat takes place in help to ease this feeling, but if you are playing for more than an hour or so, prepare to feel yourself slot into a groove.

The inventory interface, and the general UI are all well laid out and are easy to understand and use. The shop interfaces are incorporated into the game’s concept, and work well for the most part – never detracting from the immersive qualities of the game.

Besides the clunky and at times repetitive combat, the gameplay of Hand of Fate is what makes it stand out from the crowd, and at times leaves the player forgetting they are playing an Indie game.

Graphics

Charming and bold.

As is seen almost every time a skilled developer gets their hands on the Unity engine, the Unity engine can be used to create something beautiful. From the character design, to the card art, to the backdrops within the card game room and the various combat arenas, Hand of Fate is a handsome game. With a slightly chunk aesthetic in the 3D elements (seemingly inspired/linked to the art style on the cards) Hand of Fate certainly stands out. Even the gloomier arenas are great to look at. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a AAA game in looks, but it certainly stands head and shoulders above other Indie games. This, I think, is in no small part due to a well thought out and implemented aesthetic that agrees with itself throughout, and fits the setting of the game excellently.

The designs of the weapons and armour in the game are great. Very characterful, and finding a pleasant medium between fantasy and realism.

Beautiful cards.

The cards themselves deserve special mention. They are perfect, there is no other way to say it. They are quirky, crisp, and are filled with character. Anyone familiar with the art of playing cards will immediately admire these cards – they often take established themes of card art and then add their own distinct flavour.

I found myself at times wondering whether this was really the Unity Engine…[3]

Soundtrack

Yes. That sums it up I think.

The music is great. Atmospheric when it needs to be, it comes to the fore when the cards are being dealt, with a great bit of guitar playing that really adds a sense of urgency to the game – reminding the player that this is more than just a card game, this is a game where someone is playing for their life.

As to voice acting, the stage is stolen by the Dealer (voiced by Anthony Skordi). Every line is delivered brilliantly, with just the right amount of affectation to keep the player engaged. The Dealer is such a fantastic antagonist – I can’t think of any better – and this is in no small part due to the mystery and ambiguity of his character.

(Re)Playability

The ‘Story Mode’ of Hand of Fate will fill many hours with challenges and fun. There are a number of different difficulty modes, some of which simply ramp up the challenge, whilst others add specific variables that will change certain elements of the game.

Add to that the presence of ‘Endless Mode’, and you will find dozens of hours of fun here. Defiant have also been adding new content (for free) which both sweetens the deal, and adds yet more gameplay time.

For an Indie title, Hand of Fate provides more replayability than one might expect.

Charity can be rewarded...

In conclusion then, Hand of Fate is not a perfect game. The combat is the sticking point for me, mimicking something great but not quite hitting the mark. But the rest of the game – its gameplay, aesthetic, music, and the Dealer – more than make up for it. Add in the fact that it is currently 24.99 AUD on Steam, and it is easy to see why it has been recommended so widely by critics and curators. Despite its little foibles, I cannot help but be charmed by this game, and recommend it to you with no serious reservations.

Sagrannus Rating – 9/10 (Must Buy)

---

[1] http://defiantdev.com/

[2] http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/04/sega-studios-australia-closing-down-later-this-year/

[3] The only other Unity engine game I have ever played that has earned such high praise is Divinity: Original Sin, which was not an Indie development.

Sagrannus Gaming: Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

Before we kick off I would like to say (write) a few things.
Firstly, I don't like having two colons in my title, it is weird.
Secondly - I apologise for the lack of content of late, studies and the establishment of my new YouTube channel have taken up a rather large amount of time. In the near future Sagrannus Gaming will transition to a new home, allowing The Narrative Within to return to its writing and literature focus.
Thirdly, Watch_Dogs is currently on sale on Steam for the low low price of AU$13.18 (or your regional equivalent. Finally, an acceptable price for that game.
Now, the main event...

Image sourced from wikipedia.org

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

Developer: Ironclad Games
Publisher: Stardock
Genre: Real Time Strategy (with 4X elements)
Released: Original - February 2008, Rebellion  - March 2011

I would like to point the spotlight, this week, at a game in my library that I find myself coming back to again and again. It is a game that, for me, stands alone a little - doing things in a way that other space based, sci fi light 4X strategy games just do not. There are manifold reasons for this, chief amongst them being that the game is real time, rather than turn-based. There are other real time 4X strategy games out there, that I do not deny. However, this is the only one that I find charming enough to come back to.

I first encountered the original Sins of Solar Empire in 2009, when a friend loaned it to me. Whilst immediately gripping, it lacked longevity. After maybe 15 hours I felt I had seen most of what there was to see in the game, and those few things I had yet to see were not compelling enough for me to press on and devote more time. I returned with the emergence of new DLCs (good, hefty DLCs that really added to the game), but each time seemed to play out the enjoyment relatively swiftly.

Then, at last, came Rebellion - the first stand-alone expansion for the game (which itself got two DLCs). This, with its diversification of factions (each faction splitting into two: Loyalists and Rebels), in conjunction with all the previous content editions (Entrenchment and Diplomacy respectively), brought Sins of a Solar Empire to live. To this day, I cannot quite nail down why this final edition uplifted the entire package, but it did. Perhaps it simply offered a level of polish and completion that Sins of a Solar Empire had simply not enjoyed previously. It is because of this I am going to discuss the game as one entity, and will not distinguish between different content patches.

Gameplay

On the surface, the gameplay of Sins (from now on, I am abbreviating) is relatively straight forward. You must colonise planets, mine resources from nearby asteroids, research new technologies, build a fleet (replete with gloriously destructive Capital Ships, and thanks to Rebellion, Titans), and ultimately stomp on everyone else in the Solar System(s). 

However, I am happy to say, while that seems straight forward, there is a little bit more micromanagement required to play well. Planets must be improved so that they do not become economic burdens on the Empire, you must ensure your Empire's influence is maintained and not overrun by alien influences (which, yes, can result in rebellions). The player must ensure they have enough supplies for their fleet, and crews for their Capital Ships. Pirates will launch raids against whichever Empire has the highest bounty on its self-important head, so players must keep an eye on the bounty bar (hehe). Each faction (TEC, Advent, or Vasari) has a unique super-weapon that can be used to some effect against rival factions. I will whinge, however, that these superweapons by and large are far too underpowered, and therefore little threat to anyone.

Blowin' up planets!

Ships (which come in three classes - Frigate, Cruiser, and Capital) are relatively diverse, with each faction having a distinct play style. However, ultimately combat boils down to sending in your fleet and watching the pretty explosions and lasers. The battle AI does the work, there is little to no serious strategic element involved, beyond triggering Capital Ship abilities, and deciding whether you should run away or not. All ships are bound to travel along star lanes (using Phase Drive), thus controlling movement around the map. That is, unless you are the Vasari - who can build Phase Stabilisers which allow them to create their own private lanes of travel (and warp in their Dark Fleet).

One element of gameplay I really don't bother with is the Diplomacy. Even with improvements of the life of the game, I never found it to have any impact. Sure, you could sign treaties with others (once performing tedious missions which often resulted in expensive conflicts) to trade or not shoot each other, but it never seemed to have much impact on the game. 

Titans, however, are the opposite. Only a considerable fleet can threaten one, while a Titan (sorry, one at a time per Empire) can scare the living **** out of anything. Rebel factions get more offensively focussed Titans, whilst the Loyalists have more heavily armoured Vessels of Mass Destruction.

Another interesting (and destructive) joy in the game was the introduction of starbases. Massive constructions that can hold entire fleets at bay, and prevent enemies from claiming systems. These behemoths (all stationary except for the Vasari starbase, which will slowly chase enemies around its system), alter the gameplay, often encouraging players to find detours, rather than suffer the losses that starbases can inflict.

Even the Suns have a gameplay impact, with some firing electromagnetic bursts through the solar system, shutting down weapons systems and generally shaking things up. Once out of the early game stages, this isn't too much of a game changer, but the added immersion is certainly not to be sniffed at.

The user interface is relatively user friendly, and packed with information that will help players. There is even a cinematic mode so you can drool over your pretty ships...

Graphics

TEC Loyalist Titan and Capital fleet opening fire.

With clean lines, stylish post-processing, and quality designs, Sins is a handsome game, even now. Plenty of time was spent giving each faction a unique appearance. The TEC (Trader Emergency Coalition) have a rugged industrial look, with their lumbering grey vessels often turning to broadside their enemies in a hail of laser, autocannon, and missile fire. The Advent, an apparently matriarchal, evangelical human sect, have shining white vessel that feature sleek lines, and even have slick sounding gunfire. The vicious Vasari, fleeing into human space as their enormous empire is destroyed by some dark unknown power, have a suitably alien design, with distinctly insectoid looking ships that seem to be creeping across space to destroy all in their path.

The planets change as they are improved upon, developing larger cities, and having a noticeable increase in traffic. 

Different coloured suns can result in the stellar backdrop being different in colour, which is a nice change from the stock standard black with random dots that other space based games have expected us to accept.

Overall, in the looks department, Sins does not disappoint.

Soundtrack

While not outstanding, the soundtrack is well written. It fits into the fairly stock standard sci fi soundtrack, but does its job well. The music shifts to more urgent motifs during battles, and keeps the player engaged.

Ship and building sound effects are, for the most part, good. A few things here and there are a bit cheap sounding, but don't ruin the game. 

The outstanding thing, for me at least, are the voice-overs. All ship captains have dialogue, all of which are good. However, the prize winners for me are the Capital Ship and Titan captains. The TEC captains range from brash meat-heads to slick, calm admirals. The Advent all have suitably ethereal sounding voices, and spout evangelical nonsense with great regularity. The Vasari, however, nail it with spine chilling voices that rasp and bubble. At times, you even wonder whether it was really humans who recorded those sounds...

(Re)Playability

This game, as you probably guessed, doesn't offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, except to hardcore RTS and 4X fans. Even so, as this game is primarily an RTS with a whiff of 4X, 4X lovers my find themselves stymied by the limited victory conditions. If you play with friends, this game is a tonne of fun - by contrast the AI is only fun and challenging initially, and you soon learn its little tricks, and it becomes almost a tedious chore to grind it into dust repeatedly. 

The diversity of the factions is probably what offers the most replayability, especially since the changes made by Rebellion.

Yes, that starbase will chase people around the system. That isn't at all creepy.

Overall, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, is a solid RTS with some interesting 4X elements added in. If you like space based games this is probably for you. If you like navies this is probably for you. If you like space navies, space pirates, and angry aliens then stop, you have reached your destination.

Sagrannus Rating – 7.5/10 (Safe Buy)

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Until next time, I have been either N N B Clarke, or Sagrannus...or both!

Sagrannus Gaming now has a new home on YouTube. For videos, please click here. Written articles will continue to be published here at The Narrative Within. Catch the first Sagrannus Gaming LOP of Endless Legend here.

An Introduction to Doranath: Free Weekend

To celebrate 6 months since launch, An Introduction to Doranath will be free this weekend (25/26 of July). If you haven't got it yet, now might be a good time!

To those who have bought it, thanks. 

I would also like to take this occasion to thank everyone who has supported me either by buying my book, or reading The Narrative Within.

Change in Operating Practice

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to take the time to update you all on a change in the way the Narrative Within will operate.
Due to a change in my studies there will no longer be weekly instalments of The Narrative Within. Instead, I propose to do the following:
The Creation Myth - There will be one new piece of the Creation Myth released each month - completed as time allows.
Sagrannus Gaming - There will be 1-2 new editions of Sagrannus Gaming released each month, depending on time commitments and availability of material.
Discussions and Interviews - These will not appear on a set timeline, instead coming out when they are ready.
I apologise for these sudden changes, but hopefully this will allow for the delivery of more polished content which will allow The Narrative Within to continue to deliver material of a good quality and quantity.

Thanks,
N N B Clarke