Board game adaptation. Extremely difficult. We’re talking about the release version.
The game is announced for the Windows platform.
LYRICAL INTRODUCTION
I played quite a lot, but it was just incredibly brain-busting and I couldn’t make much progress. At the same time, the mechanics have been mastered quite well, but what’s the point?? Some other level of intelligence is needed here. Therefore – first glance.
We lead a mercenary guild that takes on tasks. The squad’s base is the city of Gloomhaven.
The gameplay is a step-by-step exploration of dungeons combined with resource management.
First of all, I highly recommend taking training. It is large and will introduce you to the gaming system, which is very different from similar games in its complexity and unusualness. There are already 11 tasks and this is just an introduction to the game.
There are six types of starting heroes that are very different in functionality. We will be able to accept two people into the guild at the beginning. In the future, you can open up to seventeen characters.
There are tasks in the world that we can take part in (as far as passing is far from certain). Quests have descriptions of enemies waiting for us at the site and victory conditions.
During your travels or even in the city, random events can occur that greatly affect the game. We wanted to go to the dungeon? Please show up there with half or even less health, for example.
Arriving at the quest location, a dungeon with one or more rooms and a set of enemies awaits us.
There are quite a lot of types of opponents, there are elites and bosses. They attack in a variety of ways, apply protective effects.
But talking about local combat and dungeon exploration is completely pointless without talking about the mechanics of this game.
Turn-based card game with a lot of features. Here, in my opinion, everything has been done to complicate the player’s life to the extreme.
Step-by-step occurs throughout the https://irishspinscasino.uk level. Every move is a move.
What is a move in this game?? This is a complex action with a number of conditions met.
1) We must spend two cards every turn.
2) Complex cards. Namely, they consist of two parts each and we can only use one part, and on the second card we will have to use the opposite half. It sounds complicated, but overall it’s pretty clear inside the game.
3) During a turn, we can add item effects or magic, which will give new properties to the action.
4) Each card has an initiative indicator. During a standard turn, the initiative of the fastest card played will be taken into account, which will determine the order of actions of all participants within the turn.
5) If there is no battle, we still make a move.
Seems interesting and fresh. But there are features that make the game extremely difficult.
Everything would be fine if not for:
1) Each hero has 12-14 cards. That is, even if we assume that all of them will be played (which is not a fact at all), then we have 6-7 moves until the cards are completely played back.
2) When the cards are played back (and more often before, t.To. the cards we need right now are in the lights out), we need to “rest”. What does it mean? We need to “burn” one of the cards and then the rest of the played ones will be returned to us. It’s easy to understand that with such a system, the number of cards that the cat already cried for becomes even smaller with each iteration.
3) There is a damage absorption mechanic that involves burning cards to prevent it.
4) Equipment items are consumed. That is, if you need to run a little further, then you need to “waste” your boots and be left without them. If it looks okay with potions, then with pieces of equipment it’s somehow not so good. It would be more logical to have some kind of ability cooldown.
5) When the battle is over, the moves are not over. For example, we killed all the monsters in the room – we run to the next one? And collect loot? And run to the next room – there are still cards with movement? The cherry on the cake, realizing that it was simply too difficult for me.
In addition, when the hero completes his special quest (chosen from two options), he will retire, that is, leave the squad. True, in return they will open a new fighter. What will happen if this one completes the quest?? Didn’t dig that far. In my opinion, it would be more logical to open a new fighter and increase the rank of an existing one, rather than remove him.
When completing tasks in the dungeons, for each of our warriors in the squad (you can send up to four fighters to the task with a corresponding automatic increase in the number of monsters), you need to choose one of two small tasks, after completing which the heroes will receive additional profit.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of the game and summarize.
+ Excellent music and sound accompaniment.
+ Colorful characters in the squad. Various functionality of heroes.
+ Various enemies, but not stupid.
+ Random events that have a strong impact on the game.
+ There is an opportunity to play in co-op.
THINGS THAT CAN BE BOTH A PLUS AND A MINUS:
+- In my opinion, the gaming system is extremely unfriendly to the player and leaves no room for experimentation. You need to carefully calculate your moves and choose the right decisions. But I don’t write this as a disadvantage, because some people will like the high difficulty, others won’t.
– No Russian localization of text. My medium-low knowledge of English was barely enough; I had to look into the dictionary to understand some things.
CONCLUSIONS OBJECTIVE
This is a complex turn-based card game with a new (for those who were not familiar with it, of course) game system. Made well, beautifully, the mechanics are worked out and function as stated.
CONCLUSIONS ARE SUBJECTIVE
Difficulty level may put you off the game. The system is designed in such a way that the player’s capabilities are constantly irrevocably (within the dungeon) reduced. A couple of "mistakes" and start over.
PS: I probably didn’t cover all the aspects, I might have missed something. I will be glad to add/correct the review or answer questions along the way in the comments.