Some time ago I played Puzzle Quest, Challenge of the Warlords, and liked it. For those of you who have never heard of this game, a brief synopsis here, because it leads up to why I’m interested in this new game. In Puzzle Quest you there’s a fantasy tale at its base. Nothing too special, all elements of good fantasy tales are incorporated. You know, Elves, Dwarfs, Wizards, Orcs and the likes. However, the tale is just the backdrop: the battles you have to fight to complete the quests are all based on 3, 4 or 5 in a row, what makes it interesting is the way you can use the colored balls you’ve collected. You can use it’s mana to make spells, to damage your enemy even more (and win the battle). It can be pretty addictive, plus you have to exercise the gray cells to remember all the good spells and make the best use of them.
This new upcoming game, Clash of Heroes, caught my attention in the NGamer UK, where it got a very high rating (90 out of 100). It seems to have its roots in the Might & Magic games (RPG on several consoles) that I’m not familiar with. But from the description I gathered that it’s a bit of Puzzle Quest but with role playing elements and a bit of RPG added, this might just be the ticket for me.
In the various reviews that are on the net I found this description of the battle mode. It seems to be difficult to explain, I found looking at a YouTube video of one of the battles more enlightening. During battles – the driving force of the game – players will face off against the opposition which is housed on the top screen. At the start troops of varying color and type cascade in from the bottom of the touch screen and the top of the main screen to meet in the middle. So the stage is set, and the two armies are ready to face off. What you’ll find next is a strategy experience that blends a little bit of luck with a whole lot of strategy. Players take turns pulling off attacks by moving pieces like a game of solitaire, only able to manipulate the unit closest to them in each given column. Every move costs a point, and when the set number of moves (it starts with three, but more can be awarded based on your level and a few other tricks) the turn is passed over to your opponent.
A good game, that should keep me occupied for a bit!