ToG #249 – Hero Generations and Mr. Robot

In this epic, long (and 2nd to last) episode we talk about: A few upcoming games we are excited for. A bit of sad industry news. New games we didn’t try (it’s been a busy couple of weeks for mobile gaming!) We then did a […]

In this epic, long (and 2nd to last) episode we talk about:

A few upcoming games we are excited for.

A bit of sad industry news.

New games we didn’t try (it’s been a busy couple of weeks for mobile gaming!)

We then did a few “brief updates” on games we did try.

Jared tried 3 games:

Primal Legends (Free, iOS & Android, Kobojo) – a fun little match 3 strategy game that Jared initially loved before he hit a massive paywall at around hour 3 or 4. He also found another game this week that was similar and that he liked more…so there is no room in his gaming heart, or on his gaming device, for Primal Legends. You were fun while you lasted, PL, but it is time to go.

Take Cover (Free, iOS/Android, Playdigious) – a Clash Royale-ish strategy game that has a semi-novel cover mechanic. This game has some promise…but not enough to recommend it over the better games out there in this genre. No need to pick this one up.

Dots & Co. (Free, iOS & Android, Playdots, Inc.) – a nice, simple puzzle game with dots that you need to match and a few twists on how that is done. Worth trying.

Todd tried 1 game briefly:

Riptide GP: Renegade ($2.99. iOS and Android, Vector Unit) – if you have played one Riptide game, you have played them all…but this one ups the ante and brings a lot to the table, so it is the best of the bunch from what Todd has seen so far. Jet Ski racing with lovely water effects and a refined UI and controls make for a fun game. More on this next show.

We then launch into the games we have really been playing this week.

Jared:

Saber’s Edge (Free, iOS & Android, Hibernum) – this is the game the supplanted Primal Legend for Jared. It is a more interesting free-to-play strategy matching game and well worth your attention. Recommended.

Todd:

Mr. Robot:1.51exfiltration.ipa ($2.99, iOS & Android, Telltale Games) – this game is akin to Lifeline with a few of the more traditional storytelling/choice elements that Telltale is known for. Essentially, you find a phone and you use the messaging app on the phone to unravel a mystery (even as you get caught up in it). It showed promise before Todd hit a conversation path with Lois Berry that broke the game. It has not worked after 2 patches so he will uninstall and reinstall and try again. Hold off on this one for now. It needs more QC.

Jared:

Hero Generations ($4.99, iOS, Heart Shaped Games) – both Jared and Todd played this one (Todd received a free copy from the Dev and is very, very thankful for that). Jared took the lead and they talked a lot about this very, very intriguing rogue-like meets RPG meets 4x strategy game. There is a lot to love here but a few of the game’s mechanics really start to become bothersome. Combat is almost pointless and essentially becomes a huge time waste. There is literally no strategy to it and it is very random in how it is resolved. Fog of War is a bit oppressive. The learning curve is steep. You really need to invest time to figure things out. But, that said, they both enjoyed what they played. With a few tweaks, this could be a game of the year contender…but it is not there yet. A cautious recommend.

Todd:

Solitairica ($3.99, iOS, Righteous Hammer) – this is an odd mix of a “golf” style version of solitaire coupled with RPG mechanics and rogue-lite elements. It is very intriguing, offers more strategy than meets the eye, is very well polished, and is oddly compelling. Todd is really digging what he has played so far and he recommends you at least check it out. Recommended.

Jared:

Legend of Skyfish ($3.99, iOS, Crescent Moon) – worried by the “low part of the rollercoaster ride” that has been Crescent Moon’s releases of late, Jared approached this game with some trepidation. As it turns out, it quickly became his favorite game of the week. It is a very “Legend of Zelda”-inspired RPG that features smaller levels, some interesting battle and “hook shot” elements, puzzles, and enemies. It is all wrapped up in a very nice looking package and it is well worth picking up if you are looking for this sort of game. Highly recommended.

Todd:

Leap of Fate ($3.99, iOS, Clever-Plays) – Jared played this as well. It is another mixed genre type of game. At its core it is a twin stick shooter, but it adds RPG and rogue-like elements to make each play through something unique. Pretty much every short level you tackle brings you something new and it is fun to explore not just the levels, the world, and the story but also your character build. The skill tree is very unique and offers something different each time. Overall, this game looks great, plays really well, and offers a strong challenge; while also throwing interesting hooks at you all the time. Highly recommended.

Jared:

Agricola: All Creatures Great and Small ($4.99, iOS & Android, Digidiced) – and we wrap things up with…what else???…a board game adaptation. Digidiced knocks another one out of the park and Jared really loves this simple but very strategic take on the worker/placement board game model. He likes this version of the board (and digital) game more than the first Agricola game and he sees tons of upside to this release. Well worth checking out. His one nitpick is that there is a $3 DLC pack that he feels adds a lot to the game and should have been included. But, hey, even at $8, this game is wonderful. Grab it if you are into such things.

And that is all. Thanks for listening…and reading…I am never sure if anyone reads my very long show notes. Ping me if you do; please. I am curious.

And that is all for the moment.

Check us out on Twitter…

The show is: @TofG

Jared is: @TheQuacko

Todd is: @toddias