Category author

Warhammer Quest and Perchang team up again with The Silver Tower!

Perchang is not one of those developers everyone knows but those that do seem to love them, I happen to be one of these people. They have taken a beloved tabletop experience and brought it to mobile phones. The latest iteration of the Warhammer Quest line being The Silver Tower.

New players start with two characters and quickly get the opportunity to get a third. To unlock additional characters you can collect or purchase blue crystals. 100 will get you a random character and 250 will get you a guaranteed 3* or higher character. That’s not bad at all considering the fact that you will average about ten per day by completing minor challenges. This challenges vary from collecting gold to gaining experience or killing certain enemies. Either way you can easily get a new character pretty regularly. Recently though they added a third option where every week for about 5 or 6 hours you can get a special choice. Some weeks this choice is from all of the Death faction characters or like this week’s a 4* magic user. For those impatient enough you can purchase additional gems.

Gameplay is similar to previous versions in that during the player’s turn you move your characters across the map and then perform your actions. However, one slight difference to previous versions is that you could move your maximum distance and still perform an action but with Silver Tower you can only move short distance and then attack, attack twice or move a long distance. Visually the game is simply gorgeous and the animations of your characters are rendered just as crisply. The game is fast paced and a ton of fun. I sincerely hope the team is allowed to do a hybrid of these mechanics but include a story mode with the newer Warhammer Quest- Blackstone Fortress.

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios- their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. Part 1 was all about Underwater and Part 2 focused on The New Mutants. Part 3 we talked about The Personal History of David Copperfield. We are back again with Part 4 to talk about The Empty Man.

The Empty Man

Based on the comics from Boom Studios The Empty Man follows a former detective, now locksmith, as he tries to locate his neighbor’s missing daughter. As he tracks down her friends he learns the stories of The Empty Man and how he comes to those who think of him while standing on a bridge and blowing air into a bottle. Silly concept with the bridge but it is clearly meant to be one of those urban legends like Bloody Mary. Things get weirder as the legends start to seem like they are coming true.

The atmosphere is handled fantastically, building a suspenseful ambiance that makes the experience quite tense as I literally found myself on the edge of my chair. The acting, directing and effects were absolutely top notch, and this is from a guy that doesn’t like the horror genre. If you enjoy the occasional scary film this is a must see!

WHICH OF THESE FILMS FROM 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS HAVE YOU SEEN? WHICH WAS YOUR FAVORITE?

Warhammer Underworlds returns with Direchasm! Will the Realmlords survive the return of Hedonites of Slaanesh?

The Hedonites have returned with their own warband for Warhammer Underworlds and face off in Direchasm against the Lumineth Realmlords. This pairing of forces is a huge plus by itself for me. Back in the Old World of Warhammer Fantasy many elves, now called Aelves, followed the Chaos god Slaanesh, known as the God of Excess and it’s followers were some of the most perverse. Eventually it splintered the elven people into two primary factions High Elves and Dark Elves. The Dark Elves were the group that followed Slaanesh and eventually stopped and moved to follow Khaine, the god of murder. Now the two forces are facing each other once again and have brought along some of the finest sculpts the franchise has released to date.

One of the biggest changes between versions of this game is models that now have a 6+ Wound characteristic and are defeated you will earn 2 Victory Points instead of the customary 1. Another change is that the Support mechanic is slightly modified. Basically before any models adjacent to the one attacking would support but you would subtract your support from the opponent’s support. Whomever had more support remaining receives the bonus. Now you simply take the support regardless and each support roll counts as a success instead.

As a starting box is concerned this iteration of Underworlds can be a bit overwhelming with some of the cards specifically. Previous versions a majority of the cards were more simplistic but allowed a bit of room for interpretation. The cards in this box give much longer descriptions but there is little room for interpretation. Everything is laid out exactly how they will work but the amount of wording can overwhelm newer players. For seasoned gamers though this will provide a dynamic experience in the realms of Warhammer Underworlds with some amazing models that would be fantastic starters for a Slaanesh or Realmlord based army. If you are a fan of Chaos armies or the Underworlds franchise then you will love this box.

Have you ever wanted to build a bridge AND kill zombies at the same time? With Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead you can!

Merging Headup’s series of Bridge Constructor titles and AMC’s The Walking Dead, players must help fan favorite characters reach the other side while keeping them alive. The Bridge Constructor games have been full of innovations including a partnership with the Portal franchise. The concept is rather simple, you have a gap of some sort and a vehicle or people need to cross. Queue the builder, that means you, builds a bridge of some sort.

Each stage has a resource limit to reach but is not required to finish the level. With The Walking Dead version of the franchise you must also kill the occasional zombie. Each stage shows a broken building or ravine to cross, many of which include zombies trying to eat characters like Eugene Porter and fan favorite Daryl Dixon. Characters like Daryl will aggressively remove zombie threats while others will use their brains to out think the walkers.

Like the other Bridge Constructor titles this game is quite enjoyable but at the same time absolutely maddening. Some stages I simply lack the imagination needed to build my bridge effectively enough to complete the level while using less than the resource limit. I love this game despite my skill though.

Have you ever argued about what your favorite dessert is? With Cake Bash from Coat Sink you can let the desserts fight it out themselves!

Smash Bro’s was one of the first titles that gave players a comical brawler where you can beat the snot out of your family members and not feel bad about it. Gang Beasts took it a step further and added some ragdoll physics. Cake Bash is now here to turn the cute level to a twelve while beating up on your family and friends.

Players choose their confectionary of choice and then the games begin. Each round players will have a chance to vote for which map they will play on. The main game has a specific rotation of bash levels, purchasing decorations followed by a challenge level. This repeats about three times ending with a final purchase section to grab as many decorations to lock in enough points to be the final dessert standing. After you have played a location or level once you can then do so in freeplay to unlock related achievements.

Some modes require precision and numerous attempts just to get them right. The caterpillar level is still not completed for me and I’ve spent about two hours on it so far. The game allows for a lot of replayability. In small doses the game is quite fun but repeating the same level will make you want to walk away from the game for a while. At $20 for the game it is a reasonable price but if you see it on sale this will become a must grab.

The folks over at GameMill Entertainment have delivered on one of the greatest franchises ever known- GI Joe!

Being a child of the Eighties I grew up with the original GI Joe cartoon series and to this day still read the comics. Other than the original title on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) I have even played every video game title released for the franchise. Very few forms of media have captured my attention or devotion like GI Joe has. Several months ago I learned that this game was going to be released and reached out to GameMill directly to see if we could cover the game using a review copy and they graciously agreed.

Expectations

Having played the other GI Joe titles I was expecting a simple game with very linear levels using the likeness of some of my favorite characters. What we got was something entirely different.

Reality of this GI Joe Title

The levels are mostly linear but with a bit of room for exploration. Collectibles hidden throughout the levels means you’ll have some replayability but not enough to overcome the monotony of some portions of levels. The characters and story look like they straight out of the comics. The story is very linear but focuses on both sides of the war, not just the good guys. This game is far from simplistic too. Even on the easier difficulties expect to die, a few times per level. This game is not your typical walk in the park, in fact I know seasoned gamers that commented on the difficulty level. My advice to you is to start on the lowest difficulty and replay on the higher difficulties. Replaying the levels on the higher difficulty will allow you to use built in level modifications and have a much easier time on the level. The best mods are those that give unlimited ammo or bigger shields.

The Breakdown

This game has the look and feel of the comics, as if it was written by Larry Hama himself, and has the world mechanics to cater to nearly every game style. If you are a fan of GI Joe or of a challenge then this game is a must play for you. (Editor’s note: The fact that this game was provided for review had no bearing on the thoughts/opinions expressed here.)

Space Marine Adventures is back for a second round of Xenos murder courtesy of Games Workshop and local bookstores like Barnes and Noble.

With the first volume of Space Marine Adventures players took turns facing down the Necron threat, however this time it’s time for the Orks to rise. Players take on the roles of five Terminator Space Marines and move about the map searching for supplies while protecting a shield generator. Each Terminator hails from a different but classic chapter of Space Marines and as such have their own weapon load outs. To make this easier each marine is printed in the dominant color of their chapter (green for Dark Angles or red for Blood Angles for example).

These Adventure boxes are intended to be an introduction into the world of Warhammer 40,000. The models for the Terminators are push to fit and easy to assemble, making that part of the hobby much less difficult to ease in to. Even in this game there is lots of dice rolling to be had so it feels like a Warhammer game in that respect while using common model types.

My only complaint about this game is the lack of models. The other titles that game pre-boxed like this had models for both sides but Rise of the Orks only offers tokens for the Orks. One of the best things is the value overall. For the price of this box you get five Terminators where a box of only those models would be more expensive by far. As a tower defense style game this is quite enjoyable and an excellent value for the models you get. I highly recommend hitting up the local book store and scoring yourself a copy!

Will you have what it takes to take down the undead threatening Glymmsforge? Join the hunt with Crypt Hunters from Games Workshop!

Our friends at Games Workshop shared their latest self contained game found at bookstores– Crypt Hunters! Players choose to take control of either the Stormcast Eternals or the Nighthaunt Chainrasps. Perhaps one of the most unique features to come out of a boxed game is the map. Each turn the player in charge of the Chainrasps adds pieces to the map while during the same sequence of actions the Stormcast player removes any tiles that are not in Line of Sight. This means there is a virtually endless combination of map variations that can be played from game to game.

Like any other game from GW this box includes miniatures for each faction, allowing you to add models to your warbands/armies. As can be expected you will find assembly instructions contained within the box. The Stormcasts have limited wounds so the odds will be against this player as the Chainrasps constantly regenerate.

The game is enjoyable for the first couple of games but beyond that gets a bit repetitive. Even though the maps stay fresh it is the same foes to fight and the lack of variety makes it less engaging between playthroughs.

It’s time to hit the pitch with a second season of Blitz Bowl from Games Workshop and sold in book stores!

Who’s up for a game of Football (and I don’t mean European Football)? Either those crickets are pretty loud right now or I’m asking the wrong group of people. For those of us that don’t enjoy watching the American game of Football or playing for that matter there is a game where we can actually enjoy the sport but scratch our table top itches as well and that is Blood Bowl. Games Workshop though has taken a more inclusive approach with trying to bring more people to the hobby with Season 2 of Blitz Bowl!

One of the best things about the parent game Blood Bowl is how a single action can turn one play into several, dice willing of course. This can lead to games where only one player is taking a long turn while the other has to wait a while though. With Blitz Bowl you have three set actions per turn which means that everyone gets equal play. While being more dynamic it is still just as bloody. The biggest difference however is the fact that points can be earned by not just scoring a touchdown but also by completing various objectives. With a faster paced style of play with more opportunities to score this is probably the best version of the Blood Bowl franchise to introduce to your friends.

Secret Neighbor Party Game by Arcane Wonders is here to make your next party deceitful!

Video game players have known about the naughty Neighbor for many years from TinyBuild, but did they know there is now a party card game? Thanks to a partnership with Arcane Wonders the Secret Neighbor Party Game is here. Arcane Wonders sent us a review copy to enjoy with the family and friends. With a global pandemic playing a game with the family is much easier than with friends or both.

In the Hello Neighbor franchise players try to avoid the Neighbor and sneak around his property, trying to uncover just what dark deeds he is up to. In the party game players take the roles of either the Neighbors or the kids. As kids you must manipulate others to get the keys. If they use all of the keys to unlock the basement then the kids win.

While attempting to procure the keys kids must collect cards in triplicate in order to use their powers. Secretly though Neighbors will be posing as children to undermine their efforts or steal the keys for themselves. If a Neighbor gets the key and the majority votes to use them and they refuse to do so then the Neighbors win.

The game was more fun than I expected. Party games have a tendency to feel tedious but the game was fluid, easy to pick up and everyone found it enjoyable.