Bring The Noise Gaming: Phone App

Showing posts with label Phone App. Show all posts

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Browser Game Review: Nords - Heroes of the North

Browser Game Review:

Nords - Heroes of the North

The most basic of internet functions, the web browser, has been the launching platform for many, many games. These titles include Crystal Saga, Evony, Stormfall, and so many others. The focus for this review, however, will be centralized on "Nords - Heroes of the North." And for good reason.

"Nords - Heroes of the North" is a fantastic empire building game that focuses on building up a stronghold with the resources available so that the player can overtake their fellow facebookers on a massively scaled battlefield. There are four resource types: Fire Ale, Mushrooms, Fish, and Emeralds. While the first three resources can be gained from within the walls of the player's stronghold, the Emeralds are gained in a variety of ways. The first and quite obvious way is to pay real cash to get your hands on these golden beauties. They are also acquired by completing quests or by hitting certain achievement thresholds, but they can also be obtained by competing in the global-scale tournaments that take place on a daily basis.

The progression of the player's stronghold also holds quite a unique path. There are far too many options to be able to go into great depth, so we'll just stick with the basics. Firstly, there are blood pacts, that unlock certain units as well as upgrade them. Once certain upgrades are reached, the player will then have access to different "races" of warriors, each one progressively better than the last. These races include: Northmen, Orcs, and Elves. The player starts off with the Northman class, but once the correct blood pacts and barracks are built, access to Orcs and Elves will become available. One more unit type that the player has access to is that of the Dragon. Dragon-class warriors are by far the most superior, but only limited access is granted at first. Overall, these diversifying racial qualities add to the depth of the game.

While resources are great and a broad warrior pool is mouth watering, what really takes the cake in this empire building, battle rager of a game, is the actual combat system. When it comes to real-time empire games, Nords can be considered a breath of fresh air. The combat system separates the units into three different categories: Scouting, Offense, and Defense. At this point, it becomes the player's decision to focus on whether they want to be a full-blown raiding terror on the lands of Shingard, or if they would rather turtle up and protect their precious resources from the claws of their would-be tyrant neighbors. To also add to this concept, there is an extremely useful "Clan" option that gives the player the choice to join up with like-minded folks in order to vie for dominance in group raids.

The major downside to this game, is the fact that pretty much all aspects of the game take FOREVER to build. So if you don't exactly have too much time to dilly dally with real-time games in general, Nords is definitely out of reach.

In conclusion, if you have plenty of time on your hands, are looking for just some sort of time-killer to keep your attention, or just like real-time empire building games then "Nords - Heroes of the North" is the right game for you!

For more information on "Nords - Heroes of the North" please visit:

http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/nords-heroes-of-the-north/

Be sure to check out my other content!

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Follow me on Twitter: @BTN_Gaming

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Android Game App Review: Hay Day

Farming games and simulators are a genre all to themselves. With titles such as Harvest Moon or Wild Season, just to name a couple, it's quite easy to see why farming games can be so addictive. "Hay Day" can add it's name to the list of good farming games and has many features to back it up.

Hay Day is a great little app that can be downloaded for the Android persuasion of mobile phones and tablets, and it is most definitely worth checking out. First of all, it is in fact free, so anyone who wishes to download can do so without that initial investment. Once downloaded, Hay Day will immediately win the player over with it's "happy" theme and colors.

The overall feel of the game is one of absolute enjoyment. It's a very simple concept to grasp hold of right away, and there is even a short tutorial that guides the user through the very first steps and basics of the game. This tutorial's guide is none other than a cute little scarecrow that pops up all over the farm to indicate to the player what needs to be done next. Once the tutorial is over, the player is then presented with a style of free-form play, and that is where the true fun begins.

As with most "building" game apps, there is a timed production and also a premium currency (in this case it's daimonds/white gems). One great feature of the premium currency is the fact that the game itself actually gives many opportunities to the player to acquire the gems rather than having to actually shell out any dough. This can range from "lock boxes" found on the farm map, to side quests, to leveling up, and achievements, plus so much more. This is an incredible feature for those of us out there who are pinching our pennies, but still looking to enjoy a nice relaxing game app.

While the "free" premium currency is a plus, the major portion of enjoyment that comes from this game is the ability to sustain your farm with an extremely large variety of animals and products. From chickens to cows, to bread-making and delivery trips, there is always something to do in order to keep the player coming back for more.

As mentioned above, there is also an achievement system that gives you bonuses in experience and materials as you complete them, and this is yet another great way that the game keeps the player's interest. On top of the achievement system there is also a "Facebook" connection option as well as a worldwide market for materials and crops, so if supplies end up running thin, there are always more options to get what's needed.

Overall, "Hay Day" offers a great a experience and delivers on that experience by keeping the player engaged with so many things to do, but also balancing itself out so that the user doesn't get overwhelmed. Not to mention the "free-form" play model offers that feeling of freedom and "do as you wish" playstyle that so many apps nowadays seem to lack. If you are looking for a great mobile app that is both easy on the pocketbook but overflowing in fun and de-stressing, Hay Day is a must!

For more information on "Hay Day" or to download it for your Android/iOS mobile device, please visit:

http://supercell.com/en/games/hayday/

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Windows Phone Game Review: Dragon Mania Legends

Windows Phone Game Review:

Dragon Mania Legends

If you're in the market for a game app on Windows Phone that is fun, easy to play, and has a great "social media" feature, then "Dragon Mania Legends" might just be what you are looking for.

"Dragon Mania Legends" is a neat little game app that focuses on dragon breeding and dragon raising. It has a very pokemon-esque feel to it, as well as some pretty standard app features (i.e. timed production, "swipe and collect," "pay-to-play" model, etc). However, what really makes Dragon Mania Legends stand on it's own two legs, is the actual breeding system. The player starts off with a fire dragon and there is a tutorial that will guide the user through the breeding process. With so many different combinations for dragon breeding and the fact that the game is regularly updated, it goes without saying that Dragon Mania Legends will definitely require some daily attention.

As mentioned above, this game will require some dedicated/regular attention pretty much everyday if progress is to be made. However, that's not necessarily such a bad thing. The game does a great job balancing itself out between what the player can do now, versus what the player can unlock later. One feature that helps create this balance is the battle system. The user gets a finite amount of battle charges each day, and these charges are recovered over time, but the amount time isn't so great that it discourages gameplay for later on the same day. Another great way that Dragon Mania Legends controls its gameplay is the actual "pay-to-play" model. While the option to buy the "premium currency" (purple crystals) is completely available from the start of the game, it's not completely required. Dragon Mania Legends does a splendid job of giving the player these resources through various ways, such as the questline or achievement system, as well as Facebook involvement.

While Dragon Mania Legends is a surefire way to get attention, and keep attention, there is a bit of a downside to the game: the questline. Being intended for the market as a "game," there needs to be a certain freedom that comes with the title. That being said, the questline in Dragon Mania Legends is quite intricate to the point where, if the player were to follow the quests in order, then there is almost a complete lack of imagination when actually playing. It's almost like being on auto-pilot mode. This detriment, although small or insignificant at first, can cause a loss of interest over time for some users. However, in the same breath, this type of intricate attention to the questline could be perfect for keeping the younger gamers on track so that they don't lose all focus on actually progressing through the game. So, one could call it a double-edged sword.

Overall, Dragon Mania Legends by Gameloft is an absolutely wonderful game app to have on hand for those times when little ones might need something to focus their attention on. With a great "pay-to-play" model and a social media feature, it's also a great option for adults and anywhere in between. Just be wary not to fall into the "braindead" zone when following the questline.

For more information on "Dragon Mania Legends," or to download the app and play it for yourself, please visit:

http://www.gameloft.com/windows-phone-games/dragon-mania-legends-free/

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Windows Phone Game Review: Castlemine Deluxe

Windows Phone Game Review: Castlemine

If you are a gamer or avid phone user who just so happens to enjoy a good tower defense game, then Castlemine is exactly what you are looking for.

First off, the actual layout of the game is simple, but not too simple. It is extremely easy to read and it takes a total of ten seconds, max, to get the hang of what you are doing. The concept of the game is a first in tower defense games, as it allows the player to actually build the path of the baddies instead of being stuck with a winding path and trying to decide what choke points are best. This is a huge plus because it allows the player to build their towers around a grand design that will allow for maximum damage as well as ultimate safety.

Not only is the "build your own path" idea a great concept, but the game has a variety of different towers placed into three different categories. Each basic tower can be upgraded to maximize damage, and once a certain level threshold is hit, the player is given the opportunity to evolve the tower down one of two different paths. Each of these evolutions is different for each tower type and all are a must have at some point in the game! This makes every single tool that Castlemine offers absolutely crucial and therefore earns a BIG stamp of approval.

Not only can the player evolve the towers in the actual level, but before the level select the player is also given the opportunity to upgrade their towers in a separate screen. These upgrades span anywhere from boosted damage, to better gold gain, to longer range, and even more! This adds a whole other dimension to the game and gives a sense of control to the player. Not only is the power given to the player to make these choices, but the unique "level up" system is what gives the player the skill points needed in order to upgrade the towers, and this in turn creates that drive (and want!) to keep playing.

With all of this great stuff that Castlemine has implemented, the most critical of downfalls (and even then it's not exactly a terrible thing) is this wonderful game has not been updated for a couple of years and has kinda fallen to the wayside. All in all, one can hope for newer levels or maybe a tougher difficulty, but it just doesn't look promising. Ah well, what's a guy to do?

All in all, through and through, Castlemine has earned its stripes in the tower defense genre and a definite recommendation for the casual "phone game" player. It's great in its overall concept and the upgrade features of the game establish a sense of freedom that so many phone games seem to lack. But if you are looking for a frequently updated game, you won't get it. It's a "beat it and delete it" type of game.

For more information on this game or to check prices in the store, please check out the links below:

iOS : https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/castlemine/id644848470?mt=8

Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mugshotgames.castlemine&hl=en

Windows: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/castlemine-free/2f3d94f1-51a1-4cfc-9b9a-328c6f9986bb