Eufloria
There are certain games which just tend to relax the player. You find yourself losing track of time, settling back to enjoy the ambience. Sure, there is enough of a game there to keep you interested, but it’s not even really the main attraction. The art style, music and pacing are what really draw you in as a gamer.
Anyone who has played Flower knows exactly what I mean. The gameplay is not what made so many people a fan of that game. After all, using the six access controls to move the breeze around never really felt extremely crisp, at least not to me. I didn’t care, however, as the art and styling of the levels kept me coming back for more.
Eufloria is that type of game. Simple yet beautiful art work and great atmospheric music make it easy to lose yourself in its simplistic design. I just never thought I’d be saying that about an RTS.
Real Time Strategy Meets Relaxation
No, you did not read that wrong. Eufloria is a Real Time Strategy game. That is not the kind of game you generally think about when you think of ambient atmospheres,but that is just what you have here. The game is the PSN version of the indie PC game Dyson with expanded levels and music. Question is, how in the world do you create a relaxing RTS?
You start with a deceptively simple premise: you control a group of seedlings, or organic ships, which are trying to colonize asteroids. In order to form colonies, if you want to call them that, you must sacrifice ten seedling ships to create Dyson trees, which will in turn create more seedlings. As these seedlings form, you are given the option to move on to the next asteroid or plant more trees on the current one, up to the maximum limit. Capturing more asteroids will not only give you more chances to build your fleet of seedlings, it will also give you access to more distant asteroids, as your seedlings can only fly so far without being able to slingshot off another asteroid. In most levels, you advance once you control all the asteroids in the level.
It does not take long, however, before you begin to run into resistance. Your first battles will be with the grays, seedlings which have seemed to lose their way and now attack you. As you progress, you will run across enemy seedlings as well, and defeating them will unlock all sorts of new abilities for you, including the ability to create defensive trees and plant beacon plants which can automatically direct newly created seedlings from one asteroid to travel to another.
So you have the basics for an RTS, but where does the relaxation come in? Well, the first thing you will notice is the art style is not what you would generally expect from a game of this genre. The graphics actually take on an artistic appeal which is, for lack of a better way to put it, easy on the eyes. As you continue to colonize an area and build your forces, you will not be able to ignore how fluid and downright elegant everything is. The music just adds to this overall relaxing feel, presenting an ambient, almost soothing atmosphere in which it becomes rather easy to lose yourself as a gamer. I have passed many a stage with no clue of how long I took beating it until I saw the time tally at the end.
So, if Eufloria works so hard to be such an atmospheric experience, it must not be that deep of an RTS, right? Well, while it will not rival the intense strategy of StarCraft or challenge the very way you look at the genre like Achron, you will find there is a little more to this game then meets the eye.
Hidden Depth
I have seen some reviews of Eufloria in which the writer states all you have to do to win each confrontation is build overwhelming numbers of seedlings and perform what would be this game’s equivalent of the StarCraft “Zerg rush.” While this is not entirely untrue, it is unfair to paint that as the only strategy for beating the game.
Not long into the storyline, you will run across seedlings which are really difficult to overcome. The reason for this is seedlings will take on the characteristics of the asteroid from which they are grown. Each asteroid is rated on three different attributes: energy, strength and speed. Energy determines the health a seedling has, strength the amount of damage it can do and speed how fast it can move. Well, when you are trying to attack several seedlings which have high strength and energy, you can find yourself loosing even if you do severely outnumber the enemy.
So how do you combat this? One way is choosing just what seedlings you send into battle. When you select an asteroid from which you will launch your forces, you can choose to send primarily those with greater strength, energy or speed, making it easier to choose the proper attackers for the proper job. Another way is to try an capture better asteroids so you can build stronger fleets of seedlings. As each asteroid has a cap of seedlings it will produce (set to ten times the number of trees which can be planted on it), you can choose to mass forces on weaker asteroids so you can make sure to have your stronger ones continue to produce units.
There is one other thing you can do once you unlock the ability. At the cost of seedlings, you can “teraform” and asteroid to increase one of its attributes. For example, if you have an asteroid which has high strength and speed but low energy, you can plant a flower to change the asteroid and sacrifice up to 100 seedlings to improve that attribute, meaning the seedlings grown from that asteroid will be truly formidable.
This is just the start. As you gain more abilities, you will have flowers you can pluck from your Dyson trees which can create either Dyson or defensive trees and ones you can pluck from the defensive trees to form mines (think orbital defense platforms as opposed to what we would normally think of as mines). These give you even more options to use in your conquest.
So you have a decently deep RTS combined with ambient atmosphere to create something truly unique in gaming. Only one question remains.
Does It Work?
Eufloria attempts to do something which, to the best of my knowledge, has not been done before: create a real time strategy game which is as relaxing as it is deep. So does it succeed?
The short answer would be yes, though not entirely. While it is true that there is a fair amount of strategy buried in the game, it is also true that the “Zerg rush” tactic generally works best. Granted, you cannot just rely on overwhelming numbers; some levels will require you to be very intentional in both how you divide your forces and what asteroids you choose to claim first, but in the end you will find yourself more often than not relying on having more seedlings than the enemy can deal with.
That being said, Eufloria manages to be a great palate cleanser. If you are looking for a game unlike any you have played recently to kind of break up the monotony, you will probably find this one fits the bill. Add the skirmish levels and a much more difficult dark matter level which you can unlock, and you will find more than enough here to justify the purchase. Eufloria gets a 4 out of 5.
EDG Podcast Ep. #106 – Heads in The Cloud
So this podcast was recorded on Tuesday, April 26th, so you can guess what the topic was. Listen in as Eric Bouchard, Chris Maeurer, Kyle Erwin and John Danforth discuss the recent Amazon and PSN outages and what they may mean for gamers.
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Intro music – Takeharu Ishimoto – ‘Calling’ from the soundtrack for The World Ends With You
Break music – The Fold – ‘Medicine’ from Secrets Keep You Sick
End of Podcast music – The Fold – ‘The Title Track’ from This Too Shall Pass
Timestamps
Our Weeks – 7:58
What We’ve Been Playing – 19:26
Cloud Gaming and the Outages – 1:19:44
Questions from Twitter – 2:07:07
Super Meat Boy
Easily one of the best games to be released on XBL and PSN ever, Super Meat Boy grabs hold and doesn’t let go. Team Meat has stuck gold with this charming little platformer that promises punishment for players, but also promises to keep them coming back for more. Make no mistake, Super Meat Boy will separate the boys from the men quickly. It’s going to be a blood bath, but if you’ve got the wherewithal to pick up what this game is throwing down, you will not be dissapointed. It’s the whole package. The gameplay, music, characters and the art style are all top notch. If you’re a fan of platforming games in anyway… it would be an absolutely crime to skip this one.
Hard… But Fair
I don’t usually don’t like very difficult games. Old Super Nintendo games use to break me quickly with their unforgiving nature, but I do love Super Meat Boy. The difference is where I place the blame. Those old games we’re hard for the sake of taking longer and often killed you in very unfair ways. Super Meat Boy doesn’t pull anything funny. The controls are simple and the mechanics are rock solid. I never get angry with the game, I only got mad at myself. It’s impossible to feel cheated when you know the only reason you died was because you screwed up, the game’s not at fault. It’s best not to even think about in terms of deaths. It’s just a botched attempt, I’m sure you’ll get it next time…or next time…or next time…etc
The premise can’t be simpler. The Heroine (Bandage Girl) has been taken from Super Meat Boy by the evil Dr. Fetus! Navigate these levels to get her back. Bandage girl is always at the end of the level so you always know where you want to end up, but getting their is the problem. This game doesn’t feature a health bar. You’re either dead or you’re not. Touch anything bad, and you’re right back at the beginning of the level. No load times or game over screen. That is absolutely critical in keeping you playing. The levels are extremely bite size. 15 seconds of well timed jumping will get you through just about any level. They keep the game fresh by introducing new level mechanics such as floor that crumbles away as you run over it or meat boy tracking missiles that hunt you down mercilessly. It’s all up to how good you can be. Just get to the other side of the level. Sounds simple enough, right?
A Beautiful Game
The game features a throw back 16 bit style that is a real treat. Visually it’s gorgeous and the music is fantastic. The characters are adorable and hilarious. You’ll have a hard time finding a more funny game this year. With hysterical throw back cut-scenes to old arcade games, it does the genre justice. The game jumps from making you feel absolutely horrible for a character to laughing in the blink of an eye. It’s a real testament to the level of cared poured into the game that I can understand and relate to characters that never speak. The stages are great as well. The game explores a wide variety of scenes. Anything from a world set in a cute forrest, to a world set in a salt factory. You can also save your replays to post online if you want to drag about your accomplishments. The reason these replays are so worth watching is the fact that you see every single Meat Boy attempt…at the same time. That means if you did die 40 times, 40 meat boys are going to attempt this level in the replay. Only the winning run will make it obviously, but it’s hilarious to watch 15 meat boy’s die in the EXACT same spot.
Content. Lots of it.
If you can get 100 percent completion in this game, my hats off to you. Not only is the main game tough, every single stage has an alternate “Dark World” version where the difficulty is cranked up even further. Their are also bandages placed erratically throughout worlds, and boy they are tough to get. You’re usually going to find them somewhere you don’t want to go. Collect them to unlock even more awesome characters who you can switch to at any point. Yeah, you can play this entire game as a whole selection of familiar characters. Ranging from Commander Video from bit.trip.runner to the Alien from Alien Hominid. Each with their own unique abilities, switching characters can be a great way to get a fresh approach at a level that’s really been kicking your but. You can also unlock characters in “warp zones” which consist of three levels set in the desired characters world. The game even take you back further to 8 bit graphics for a few warp zones,, that includes remixing the music.
In Closing
If this game in anyway sounds like it could be fun for you, go get it. You will not regret the purchase. Super Meat Boy is easily my favorite arcade game title this year, it might be my favorite console arcade title yet.
Dead Nation Attacks the PSN November 30th
According to the Playstation Blog, Housemarque’s PSN zombie apolcalypse title, Dead Nation will be coming in just a couple weeks. Dead Nation will feature both online and offline two player cooperative campaign play and will also support Trophies. The game will retail for $14.99 when it releases on November 30th.
Check out below last years Gamescom trailer for Dead Nation and let us know if you will be picking this one up.
Daily Bits For 7/19/10
Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com
Release Date List: 7/18-7/25
This week the Summer of Arcade promotion kicks off on Xbox Live with LIMBO. Also Need for Speed: World on the PC and Alien Swarm. Check out the full list of titles in the link below.
Madden NFL 11 Demo Tackles XBL and PSN
Football season is right around the corner people, and with that usually means another EA Madden NFL game. On July 27th you can download the demo that pits last years AFC Championship game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Jets. The demo will have 5 minute quarters and give you a option to choose between four select difficulties: Rookie, Pro, All Pro, and All-Madden.
A lot of people are upset with EA for there Ten dollar online pass tactic, and rightfully so. Will you be picking up the new Madden this year?
XBLA Breach Gets Delayed
The Xbox Live title that had a lot of people excited at E3, Breach will be getting a pretty significant delay. Instead of dropping this year, the game will release in January.
Atomic President Peter Tamte says the delay will give the studio the time they need to add a “hardcore” mode to the game to mimic the real life military situations.
Luckily there were features we had been thinking of adding to the title, and now we have the opportunity to do just that. Unlike with Six Days in Fallujah, which was delayed indefinitely when Konami pulled out, we are publishing Breach ourselves, and it will be out in January… I’ve always said, we don’t make simulations for the public and we don’t make games for the government. However, we have come to realize there is a growing segment of the gaming population that wants to test these simulation systems out for themselves, which is why we’re adding features, like a Hardcore mode, to Breach.”
Breach will now release day and day with the Xbox 360 version and will still carry a $15 price tag.
Netflix Streams Over the Border
It is a happy day today for the Canadians as Netflix have announced today that their streaming service will be coming to Canada later this fall. It may not be a big deal for people in the US because we have been spoiled with streaming content for quite some time now, but people across the northern border couldn’t be more happy.
The Canadian version of Netflix will have its first ever separate package that allows customers to choose a streaming-only package instead of having to pay for a DVD bundle.
No other details have been mentioned including pricing information, but we imagine that to surface shortly.
Daily Bits For 6/22/10
Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com
DLC Galore:
Today is the day for DLC. Red Dead Redemption’s free “Outlaws to the End” is out on both Live and PSN, Just Cause has added its own free take on the Tuk Tuk, and PSN players get both Battlefield: Bad Company 2′s “Onslaught” and MAG’s “Interdiction” (the 360 version of “Onslaught has” been delayed).
Old 360s selling at discount prices
With the release of the new Xbox 360, many retailers have started discounting their older units. Amazon and Best Buy have both lowered the price of their Arcade units to $150 and their Elites to $250, so if you are thinking of getting a system, you may want to consider buying one of these.
Personally, I would hold out a bit longer. Microsoft has confirmed they will be announcing a $199 model of the new system, and if that one has a built in hard drive, you can expect these prices to drop even further.
Prince of Persia is highest grossing video game movie of all time
While Prince of Persia has received a lukewarm reception in the US, only pulling in $80 in domestic ticket sales, the movie has been extremely well received elsewhere. Worldwide earnings of $293 million have helped the movie edge out the original Tomb Raider, which earned $274 million.
As someone who has seen both films, I am glad to see Prince of Persia topple Tomb Raider. It is a much better film.
New 360 shuts down before RROD
So we have all heard the new 360 is Red Ring of Death proof. How can Microsoft promise this? Apparently, the new 360 will shut itself off if the ventilation is blocked enough that it could overheat. This kind of shut off makes sense for a system that has had serious heat problems. The question is will this become a more serious issue as games continue to push the console.
Live finally has a family plan
If you have a family all playing games on Xbox Live, that can get quite expensive. Microsoft is finally doing something about this. Starting in November, families will be able to purchase a 4 player Xbox Live Family Plan for $99. Not only is this half the price of 4 individual live subscriptions, but it includes a family center where parents can limit what games their kids are allowed to take online.
Kinect Rumors abound
In a day full of 360 news, the Microsoft store is now listing Kinect at $150. While many other retail sites have done the same, the fact this is on the MS site may mean it will be the final price for the device. Microsoft has stated over Twitter that the price has not been announced yet, so it is still possible this will not stand, but with a source within Microsoft allegedly listing the cost of the motion camera at $150, this is looking like a distinct possibility.
I hope this is not the final price. If it is, I will not be buying it.
Thought Jellyvision was done? You Don’t Know Jack
It appears rumors of the death of Jellyvision’s popular trivia title may have been exaggerated. The company is working with THQ to bring You Don’t Know Jack to new light. While it is unknown whether this will be a re-release of the older titles in downloadable form or a brand new game, it is good news for those of us who have grown up with this king of all trivia games.
So now all those pretenders can get out of the way and let the true champion return.
Daily Bits For 6/11/10
Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com
We Are Going To E3!
As we have mentioned on the podcast, Our very own Eric Bouchard will be attending E3 this year. This is a very exciting moment for all us and we cannot wait until everything unfolds. We will have all of the latest and greatest that comes out of E3 so keep your eyes peeled to the site and don’t forget to follow Eric on Twitter (AZRockslide) for all of your gaming news.
Get Ready For The Apocalypse
Last week there were rumors speculating about a new Motorstorm title from Sony. Well today those rumors can finally be put to rest. Evolution Studios has dubbed “Motorstorm Apocalypse” as the next title to there racing franchise. Set in an urban environment, specifically San Francisco but not going “completely urban” says Game Director Matt Southern.
Throughout the game the city will be ripped to pieces, in real-time, as you race. Routes will be affected, as will our emergent gameplay, with the game to feature “two groups” left behind in the crumbling city that don’t take too kindly to MotorStorm’s arrival
He also goes on to add.
This isn’t post-apocalyptic. It’s apocalyptic. You are there when it happens. It’s survival racing, when buildings “come down” they “stay down.”
“When you race a track again, the buildings will still be down and the MotorStorm crew will have carved yet more routes into the ruined landscape. The only time you’ll see the same thing twice is when you choose to.”
Matt Southern also talks about a Multiplayer with a full rank up system, very deep customization, and a “Game Mode Creator”
It sounds like a mix between Split/Second with the destruction, mixed with a deep multiplayer like BLUR. This could be very intriguing considering both those games put together would be unbelievable.
Do You Want To Be A Rock (Band) Star?
Images for Rock Band 3′s Instruments have been revealed today. Click our Source link below for the full layout of gear. Now only problem is, where are you going to put it all?
Bad Company 2′s Onslaught Mode Coming June 22
DICE has priced and dated there upcoming Onslaught mode for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The 4 player cooperative mode will arrive on June 22 for 800 Microsoft Points or $10.00 on the PSN. Europe PS3 owners will have to wait a extra day for the content.
Dreamcast Titles Coming To Xbox Live, Playstation Network
Wish you could play the old classic Dreamcast games on your 360 or PS3? Well this fall you can. Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi will be the first two games that will come to the next gen consoles. Sega has assured everybody that these games won’t be just ports from the Dreamcast. Expect a crisper resolution, with achievements/trophies, online leaderboards and even support for surround sound. No announcement has been made on pricing, but I’m sure you can expect the standard 800-1200 Microsoft Points. ($10-15)
Expect more information at E3.
Borderlands: Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot
Riding the unheralded success of Borderlands, Gearbox has released Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot for 10 dollars on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network respectively, as well as the PC. The content offers players an arena to engage in combat with increasingly difficult waves of opponents with ever changing game modes and modifications, but does it satisfy the cravings of Borderland junkies waiting for their next fix?
The answer, sadly, is no. Unlike the previous Zombie Island DLC, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot fails to capitalize on what helped Boderlands become so beloved as it forces players to trudge through waves of waves of enemies while receiving little to no reward for doing so. All the weapon proficiency and experience points players would regularly receive from combat has been omitted for this DLC. While it makes sense as a way of preventing players from taking advantage and quickly raising their level, it also drains the game of any sense of accomplishment. Even with friends the arena’s and game modifications quickly become predictable and drab. Some little treats (an extra skill point, backpack slots) might draw some in, but it won’t keep them for long.
Another major issue I have with the DLC is the lack of an ability to save progress during an arena. If you are forced to leave (or are disconnected) the game during the match at any point, you will be forced to start at the very beginning the next time you play. This happening 2 hours into an arena is enough to turn anyone off from ever playing this DLC again.
Even if some of these things were fixed in an update, the entire focus of the content still seems misplaced. Not that Borderlands combat is bad necessarily, but it’s not what makes the game fun nor is it the games strong point.
All feeling of progression and the delights of rooting through loads of loot are tossed aside as the game attempts to beat you over the head with combat. Even the levels themselves don’t do much to show off the wonderful cell shaded style the game aught to flaunt at every chance. I would only (and barely) recommend this for hardcore and high level Borderlands players who are desperate for more time on Pandora. I’m scratching my head trying to find the logic progression that led from Zombie Island to the Underdome Riot, but I just can’t see it. It seems that wave based combat modes (Horde, Fire-fight) are all the rage lately, but this one just isn’t worth your money or time. It’s not a deal breaker in terms of purchasing DLC for Borderlands, but I sure hope Gearbox has something better up its sleeve.
30 Reviews in 30 Days, Day 11: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
I first heard about Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on either 1Up Yours or EGM Live. They talked about it on both shows, and I could not quite wrap my head around the idea: a puzzle game crossed with an RPG. Sounded like an odd combination to me, but the more I started to hear about it, the more I was intrigued. I finally broke down and purchased the DS version of the game. Several hours of gameplay later, it still ranks up there as one of the best puzzle games I have ever played.
A simple premise brilliantly executed
The idea behind Puzzle Quest is actually quiet simple: take the match three puzzle play of Bejeweled and toss in a light RPG element to keep players coming back for more. In the beginning of the game, you are given the chance to choose the type of character you want to play, and you will find many of the fantasy archetypes present and accounted for, including the ranger and the warrior.
Each character has different spells and attacks he or she can learn, so who you choose does make a difference. For example, the ranger will have spells that rely more heavily on the elements, where the knight may have more direct attacks. You gain the ability to activate these spells or attacks by building mana from the puzzle; if you match green gems, you get green mana, if you match red you get red, etc. Each spell requires a certain amount of at least one and often many types of mana, and these spells can range from attacking gems on the board and getting the damage effects to hurting your opponent directly.
Beleive it or not, you can combine a puzzler with an RPG.
After choosing a character, you get into the RPG element of the game. Unfolding before you is a story of an ancient evil that is slowly starting to reawaken. It is up to you and your allies to stop this evil. You do this by moving about the land, doing different quests and fighting different enemies along the way. These battles are fought on the puzzle board, where you match the colored gems to get mana to use for your spells. There are also skulls on the board, and if you match they, you deal damage to your opponent directly. The battle is over when either you or your opponent run out of health.
Seems simple enough, right? It is, yet there is a much deeper element to this game than there appears at first glance.
More hardcore role playing than you might think
For a game with such a simple premise, Puzzle Quest is actually a serious RPG. As you progress through the game, you are given choices that will effect whether or not you gain allies. These allies aid you in battle, doing things like hurting certain types of opponents or lowering their attack capabilities. These allies can help turn the tide of combat, especially early in the game.
If you face off against a creature enough times, you can try to capture that creature. To capture, you must remove all the gems from the board you are given. The harder the creature, the harder it is to make the appropriate moves to capture them. Once captured, you can train the ones you can ride and use them to improve your speed and attack. The ones you cannot ride, you can learn their spells, which you do by matching mana and scrolls in the puzzle.
On top of that, you can lay siege to the cities around you. If you win the siege, you gain control of that city, which means it will produce income for you. Of course the city might rise up against you, and you may find yourself having to beat it again to regain control.
Capture enemies, learn spells, gain allies…. The hardcore RPG fan will find much to love about Puzzle Quest.
Add to this your standard character leveling system and the chance to craft master weapons and armor through the puzzle board, and you find there really is a much deeper game here than meets the eye. The story may be a little cliched, but the rest of the game makes up for it.
The one major flaw
You mat have noticed that Puzzle Quest is in my top 10 games of all time. Only one thing keeps it out of the top five: the one major flaw of the game.
Imagine this: you are facing off against an opponent you should be able to beat. Several moves in, it looks like everything is going your way. Suddenly, the enemy gets a rather convenient combo of gems, allowing it to gain another turn. Then it happens again. And again. In no time, this battle that was going so heavily in your favor has gotten out of hand, and you find yourself losing.
Puzzle Quest has what has been referred to as a rather convenient AI. At too many points in the game, you will find your opponent making just the right move, which leads to a chain reaction that completely turns the tide of battle. This becomes extremely annoying at the end when you are facing against Lord Bane. He is a difficult enough final boss to fight without having to worry about him “cheating.” It is the one major flaw of the game, an it will leave you needing to walk away from it on more than one occasion.
That being said, Puzzle Quest is easily one of the most addicting games I have ever played. I have payed for the DS version twice (and soon will probably get it for a third time), and I also own the Xbox Live Arcade version of the game. I guess I just can’t get enogh of it. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords gets a 5 out of 5.
Fat Princess
Fat Princess comes to us from Titan Studios, makers of…Fat Princess. The emphasis of FP is multiplayer. While there is a single-player campaign. It feels more like a tutorial than anything else.
There are 4 modes: Rescue the Princess, Snatch N’ Grab, Team Deathmatch, and Invasion. Rescue the Princess has to be the most popular of the group as I would say it’s what the game is built around. Each team has the other teams princess locked up in their castle, the object of the game is to steal your princess back and bring her to your castle so that you have both princesses in possession. Then you must defend the castle for a short amount of time. The Team Deathmatch mode is self-explanatory. Each person you kill is worth one point, first to 250 wins. In the Snatch N’ Grab mode you are to capture the enemy princess as many times as possible in the amount of time given, once you capture her she goes back to the castle to be captured again. The team with the most captures wins. The last mode, Invasion, has both teams trying to capture and hold outposts while defeating the enemy team.
Fat Princess is a very overwhelming game at first. When I started playing it for the first time I had no idea what I was doing. The “How To Play” section helps a bit but really it’s a lot of reading and you won’t understand the game until you play a few rounds. There are 5 different classes in FP: The Mage, the Priest, the Ranger, the Warrior, and the Villager. The Mage can throw fire and ice from it’s magic wand. The Priest can heal teammates and suck the life from enemies, the Ranger uses ranged weapons like the bow and arrow and when upgraded, a gun. The Warrior has a sword and shield and when upgraded can use a longer sword. The Villager is in my opinion the most interesting class. The Villager is the work force, he is responsible for cutting down trees and mining for silver. If enough wood and silver is collected the Villager can then upgrade the classes. The Villager can also build stuff such as ladders to the enemy castle, catapults, and even trampolines. When upgraded the Villager can throw bombs at people.
Fat Princess is in my opinion a great game but the game really depends on who you play with. Sometimes if you get lucky you will have an awesome group who knows how to use teamwork, other times you are stuck with people who run off and try to win the games by themselves. FP relies heavily on teamwork, when the team works together it almost always results in a victory. My only complaint would be that there are not enough people using headsets. Every once in a while I hear someone say “good game” and didn’t even hear them say a word during the match.
But honestly, I love the rush I get when I capture the princess and slowly make it back to the castle with all of my teammates defending me. It’s a great feeling. If you have a PS3 and $15 to shell out for Fat Princess then I suggest you do it. You will have a great time.