What We Liked..
Great player-versus-player map
Simple to play
Fun for casual gamers
.. and what we didn't
Combat is too simple
In-game purchases needed for higher levels
Raven March is an MMO strategy game from Kabam Games. Although the game gets off to a slow start, partly due to excessive load screens and a sparse story, it gains in the multiplayer portion thanks to a well developed player-versus-player map, where new combat is always to be had. Scenarios are also available for those who prefer to play solo.
The game has quaint but fairly detailed 2D graphics that serve it well. In terms of story, however, there's not much to say - you have a small selection of avatars and three factions at war to fight as. Exactly why they’re at war in the first place will unfortunately remain a mystery.
In general, Raven March offers fun for casual players, but hardcore gamers will likely have to pay if they want to continue to advance at a reasonable pace.
What We Liked..
Fast paced
Strategic fun
Excellent graphics and presentation
Multi-platform
.. and what we didn't
Native resolution
Clunky controls
Shadowverse is a digital collectible card game that's free to play, and set in a fantasy anime universe. There are multiple game modes available, and all of them offers a satisfying blend of fun and strategy which is crucial for a card game. Shadowverse stands out from its competitors by introducing the evolve mechanic, allowing players to use a trump card to turn any match on its head, making the outcome unpredictable but less reliant on annoying RNGs.
The game also features a well polished but short main story campaign, on top of great graphics. It's also commendable that everything in the cash shop can be bought by in-game currency, awarded for simply playing more matches and ranking up. There are some downsides however, such as clunky controls, but it doesn't deter one from enjoying the solid gameplay.
What We Liked..
Classic RPG Style
Great PVP fighting mechanics
Armor and weapons still look cool
.. and what we didn't
Dated graphics & low res character models
Heavily P2W PVP
Unbalanced economy
Very low player base
Shaiya holds a place in many people’s hearts as the first MMO they’ve ever played. And as such, people looking back on it today might be viewing it through those dark-tinted nostalgia glasses which may obscure their objectivity when talking about it.
Over 11 years since its’ release, does Shaiya hold up? In a way (Private servers), yes, but for the most part, Shaiya is as dead as an MMO can get. The way it works with old-school MMOs is they either need to have a large enough player base to keep them going, or they need to modernize with the times to draw in newer players.
Shaiya does neither. Few veterans of the game are left, and the changes that the developers have made to the game over the years have only pushed old-school players away even more. There’s nothing on offer here that the new generation of gamers won’t find somewhere else. Somewhere better. The uniqueness of Ultimate Mode, is little more than a novelty feature now, and the P2W aspects of the PVP just kill the game, despite its’ potential. Shaiya still has its’ high points, but the official game is long past its’ prime.
What We Liked..
Excellent gameplay
Immersive 3rd person perspective
Other game modes are great fun
Gold sharing system encourages team play
.. and what we didn't
Slower unlocking for non-paying players
but this is nothing new
Smite is a third person MOBA developed by Hi-Rez Studios where you fight as one of the ancient gods of world mythologies, taking out enemy Gods, towers, minions and bases, all while playing in the refreshing new third person perspective.
It wouldn’t be a MOBA without a classic 3 lane map, but Smite has lots of other play options that are actually good fun – something that is sadly missing among MOBAs. Whether it’s the speedy Arena mode, the battle heavy Assault mode or one of the crazier Match of the Day scenarios, there’s plenty to do in this game.
Add to this an unobtrusive cash shop, decent graphics and well developed gameplay and you have a winner. Smite is highly recommended, a free to play title that is as enjoyable and challenging as you want it to be.
What We Liked..
Modern military setting
Great dialogue
Graphically good
.. and what we didn't
The usual mechanics
Soldiers Inc is a free-to-play strategic management game set in the near future, in a land where there is an ongoing war for control of resources.
In between the quests that we will be assigned, we will turn our little camp into a base of operations in all respects, with reservoirs, troops, vehicles, and ammunition.
The Plarium title simply brings the formula that has already been proven in many medieval strategic games into a futuristic world, where battles are fought with guns instead of hand-to-hand.
Graphically, the game holds its own, presenting detailed scenarios with dozens of animations that make each scene believable.
Soldiers Inc is a well-done strategy game: fun, but as often happens, it doesn't offer anything new to the genre.
Of course, it offers a new setting; it's up to you to decide if that is enough.
What We Liked..
New universe based in ancient Greece
Available directly via Facebook
.. and what we didn't
Pretty similar to games of the same genre
Watch the trailer:
Genre: strategy, war, managerial
Setting: city, historical
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions PvP
Developed by Plarium, Sparta: War of Empires offers enjoyable albeit rather typical browser game entertainment, which is a mixture of strategy and war, with a few characteristics that set it apart from its brethren.
In addition to the usual game processes and progression, Sparta: WOE gives you the added option of enlisting help from King Leonidas and his Spartan army, using a combination of strategy and diplomacy.
Graphically, the game is very well presented: the artworks are rather inspired and the environment and design of the buildings work well.
Finally, the fully voiced dialogues and immersive soundtrack add more points to the atmosphere.
Sparta: War of Empires is good title – even if ultimately it does not offer anything special, the setting in historical Greece brings a little novelty of its own, and all the traditional aspects of a browser game are implemented in a convincing manner.
What We Liked..
Well-written and voiced quest dialogue
Polished graphics
Play in your browser
.. and what we didn't
Full screen mode necessary
Simplistic combat
Watch the trailer:
Genre: strategy, managerial
Setting: fantasy, historical
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions PvP all vs all
Stormfall: Age of War is a browser-based MMO strategy game by developer Plarium.
In the game you must create and upgrade your castle, while also building an army to pillage the castles of other players and defend yourself from their attacks.
While the combat mechanics of Stormfall are not particularly interesting, there is enough to do in this well-crafted game to make up for it.
Between the endless buildings, units and skills to construct and upgrade within your castle, and the different kinds of conquests to plan and execute outside it, the game can almost feel too busy for a beginner.
However, this also ensures that you won’t get bored of Stormfall too quickly – there’s almost always something new to learn.
What We Liked..
Realistic strategic warfare
Long-term game
Rewarding social aspects
.. and what we didn't
Unattractive graphics
Very slow progression
No sounds and music
Setting: city, fantasy, historical
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions PvP all vs all
Thirty Kingdoms by Bytro Labs is a free to play empire building strategy game for web browsers. As the ruler of your kingdom, the gameplay will have you look after your provinces by managing your resources, building new structures from well fleshed out tech trees, and players will need to expand by taking over hostile territories. To do that, players can build up an army of various units and send them away in real time to do battle, and the outcome is decided by multiple realistic factors such as army morale and terrain.
The most interesting thing about Thirty Kingdoms is its level of realism, and actions such as moving armies and building structures will take a long time to complete. Game progression will be slow which means that not everyone will enjoy it. However, the game does provide multiple socializing options that allows for diplomatic and cunning styles of play.
Thirty Kingdoms is a good immersive kingdom building game that offers hours of fun that lasts for prolonged periods of time. While the graphics are minimal and there are no in-game sounds, players who enjoy strategy games without the hassle of additional downloads or slow internet will definitely find something to like in Thirty Kingdoms.
What We Liked..
Deep immersive gameplay
Amazing visual graphics
Cooperative gameplay through Orders
.. and what we didn't
Serious advancement costs time/money
Battery life on mobile devices
On-screen extras can get overwhelming
Watch the trailer:
Genre: strategy, war, managerial, mmorpg
Setting: fantasy, historical
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions PvP
Throne: Kingdom at War is a Browser game, released by Plarium in August 2016. While it does have its little quirks that can serve to be an annoyance to some, its overall gameplay, visuals, and gaming structure make it yet another incredible addition to the avid gamer’s collection. With new players continuing to join every day, it is a game that is well worth checking out, with some heavy addiction warnings in place (coming from personal experience).
What We Liked..
Low requirements
Short battles ideal for playing a few quick games
Around 50 units to choose from for each faction
gives players lots of options
Great fun for casual players
.. and what we didn't
Recycled assets and forgettable music
Long endgame grind
Balancing and cash shop issues
Slow matchmaking
After being in closed alpha for several years, Total War: Arena has finally opened up to the public. A collaboration between The Creative Assembly and Wargaming, Total War: Arena is based on the famed franchise of the same name but with a twist.
Instead of focusing on a single-player campaign, the game focuses entirely on player versus player combat, with massive 10 versus 10 battles taking place with thousands of units on the field at once.
The Total War series has always had issues with PVP game modes, specifically balance, or lack thereof, and although Total War: Arena is an entirely PVP game, these issues have not been fixed. Be prepared for lengthy queue times and bad matchmaking a lot in higher tiers in particular.
The game's cash shop is relatively mild. Players can have plenty of fun in the lower and mid tiers, however, in the higher tiers, players who spend money will have a significant advantage, and players who don't will be at a significant disadvantage. Balance wise, premium units aren't a big deal compared to non-premium units, but they do offer up increased XP and silver gains. The endgame is almost completely inaccessible to non-spending players, and it is nigh-impossible to reach and stay in the highest tiers unless you spend money in this game.
Total War: Arena is a flawed game with a pretty harsh ceiling for F2P players, but offers up a lot of fun for fans of the genre.