What We Liked..
Gameplay is simple yet complex enough to keep the player engaged
Accelerated time keeps the game moving and interesting
Graphics are engaging and excellent
.. and what we didn't
Dangerously easy to rely on the game shop
Not good on battery life
Very time consuming as you level up
If orange is the new black, then farming is the new popular app. With games like Farmville and Hay Day, players can immerse themselves into the artificial pleasures of farming. This includes things like growing crops, raising livestock, and delivering goods and services to awaiting customers. Like Farmville, Township got its start on the Facebook platform and evolved into a standalone app. But where Farmville and Hay Day focus strictly on farm-building, Township expands the player's reach into other areas of development, like house-building, factories, restaurants, movie theaters, and even a zoo. It blends farm and city building together into something that's less 'nostalgic farming' and more 'farming metropolis'. The game is also quick to catch on to, with a fairly basic tutorial that relies on simple animated GIFs that show the player exactly how to play, but leaves enough room to let the player explore on their own if they want.
With a fairly basic premise ("Congratulations on inheriting some property!"), a simple-yet-complex gaming structure that keeps you engaged, and amazing graphics, Township remains a top contender in the world-building simulation apps out there.
What We Liked..
Detailed voice-overs
Player interactions
Comprehensive base building
.. and what we didn't
Influent cash shop
Rigid combat system
Watch the trailer:
Genre: strategy, war, managerial
Setting: fantasy, historical, sea
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: PvP
Pirates – Tides of Fortune is a complex and charming browser game released by Plarium Games. In this game you are a commander of your own haven (base of operations), where your goal is to expand, conquer and form brotherhoods with other players.
Tides of Fortune allows you to take several approaches on your gameplay; economical, defensive and offensive. The game leaves you enough room to learn how to fend for yourself during the first few levels, so you don’t have to worry about getting raided and pillaged by other players right off the bat.
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: all vs all guild or factions PvP
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..
Immersive sci-fi atmosphere
RTS elements
A lot of complexity for hardcore gamers
.. and what we didn't
Difficult for beginners
Small community (but it's still a closed beta)
Watch the trailer:
When reviewing a MOBA in 2015, the n. #1 question to address is: do we really need another one? Is there anything original enough to make it worth playing? The short answer, in Supernova's case, is yes.
Apart from the original-but-not-so-much sci-fi \ space setting (which at least is not the same ol' fantasy one), Supernova brings an appreciated dose of strategy and complexity thanks to its RTS elements: minions don't spawn at predefined intervals to follow the same, computer-defined path, but are controlled directly by players.
You'll have a tech tree to research, and resources to spend to buy the most appropriate units for your objectives, just like in a RTS game.
This really adds a lot of gameplay opportunities, and we're sure that hardcore players looking for a deep, complex game will find in Supernova a great fit.
What We Liked..
Intense FPS action
Small download size
.. and what we didn't
Mediocre graphics
Unbalanced cash shop
Similar to other titles
Piercing Blow is a free-to-play MMOFPS from Korea, where it’s been out for a while. It’s low on character customisation, but high on map variety, offering several modes across over 40 maps for you to explore and kill people on. The majority of the environments and scenarios are completely without novelty for any experienced player - all the old favourites are here.
While the game may not feel the need to add anything new to an already successful formula, it does offer fairly decent shooter gameplay. Maps are well designed, even if the Counterstrike-era graphics are mostly ugly, and with a small, undemanding file size, Piercing Blow runs smoothly.
A wealth of guns and weapon upgrades are available to those willing to pay real money for them, a factor that significantly unbalances the playing field. The only other way to unlock decent gear is by playing and winning daily tournaments. Basically, if you’re not already a skilled shooter or ready to pay for a better gun, you’re not going to make it here.
What We Liked..
It's Lord of the Rings!
Lots of content
House customisation is fun
.. and what we didn't
Quest and expansion packs must be bought
Weak endgame content
LOTRO is a fun MMORPG for the casual RPG player or the Tolkien fan. The world has plenty of content with many skirmishes to be had, dungeons to explore and raids to wage or defend against. Unfortunately, a lot of this content requires either spending real money or an absurd amount of time to unlock.
The quests of the game and the environments they take place in are visually engaging - picturesque and sweeping or dark and creepy, but always atmospheric.
Hardcore gamers or those looking for a game with challenging end game content, however, should look elsewhere.
What We Liked..
Excellent graphics
Overarching
quest driven storyline
Huge amounts of objects to be discovered and bought
.. and what we didn't
Way too much loading times!
Repetitive missions
Andromeda5 is a fully 3D MMO browser game recently released by XS software. The game allows you to travel through the depths of the universe and explore different galaxies. The storyline progresses through main quests which even if not very exciting still make it possible to maintain a good gameplay flow and prevent one from getting overly bored.
In short, the game is a standard free MMO that has dozens of missions (although not very different from each other) which usually involve collecting such and such item or resources.
Graphically, the game is rather pleasant , thanks to the integration of the Unity graphics engine. The ambiance and feel of space in the game is done well, completely in the 3 dimensions. All in a single browser window. Andromeda5 is a good game, but due to some of its defects, it doesn't reach its full potential .
What We Liked..
New take on the genre
Easier to pick up than traditional MOBAs
System to disable abusive players
Excellent graphics
.. and what we didn't
Less challenging for seasoned players
Strife is a new MOBA by S2 Games, the maker of Heroes of Newerth. Despite its name, Strife has been trumpeted as the answer to the MOBA genre’s highly competitive - even toxic – community, and playing the game it’s easy to see why. S2 have worked hard to create a softer, more accessible game without compromising on the key elements that make MOBAs so enjoyable.
From changing the farming system so that gold is shared among team members when one makes a successful kill, to the introduction of a rating system that rewards good behavior and bans multiple offenders from in-game chat, Strife is all about encouraging team play and a friendlier online environment. Gamers who love a serious challenge might prefer to stick to the high-stakes play in other MOBAs, but Strife is perfect for new and casual gamers.
It may be easier, but that doesn’t mean it’s without challenge. Strife does try to change things up. There is a giant ape who can be freed by one side to wreak havoc on the other, super useful pet companions to train and customise and a crafting system that rewards loyal players. Far from just being a novice version of a regular MOBA, Strife is a serious step in a more positive direction for the genre, and a great opening point to any gamer who’s hung back from MOBAs so far.
What We Liked..
It's Star Wars
Morality and conversation system
The customizable personal history of your character
.. and what we didn't
A lot of restrictions on the free-to-play option
Another World of Warcraft clone
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a recently released free to play MMORPG developed by Bioware and published by EA and LucasArts.
On one hand, its RPG aspects are excellent but on the other, its MMO qualities aren't so good. The game's creators definitely opted for the pay-to-win model with this one. The cash shop is graciously supplied and gives too large of an advantage compared to the in game stores.
Off the bat, the game had tons of potential for enjoyment. Its Star Wars licensed storyline and the opportunity to make your own customizable Jedi doppelganger had Star Wars fans hooked since their announcement.
Taking all that into account as well as its excellent graphical presentation this game is a worthy detour for any Star Wars fan looking to immerse themselves in an online community of Star Wars fandom.
What We Liked..
Original and intriguing theme
Dizzying variety of quests and items
Thriving online community
.. and what we didn't
Very basic tutorial with no in-depth explanation
Vast amounts of information to take in
Gameplay between quests becomes repetitive
Watch the trailer:
Perfect World is a stunning MMORPG which is heavily influenced by Chinese mythology; casting players into an immersive, spiritual world of magic and intrigue. Some predictable RPG elements are present, including character customization and XP building, but that in no way hinders the enjoy-ability of the game.
With countless PVE quests, items to collect and character skills to learn, this game is more than capable of stealing hours off your life with its huge variety and captivating game play.
Perfect World is an in-depth, mystical experience well worth your time and dedication if fantasy RPGs are your thing!