Right then...
One game I have been playing, normally just for half an hour in the evening, is Sword Art Online: Integral Factor.
This is a mobile game which is available for both Android and iOS, and like a lot of mobile games, is a free-to-play one with a freemium model. Its based on the anime (and manga) call Sword Art Online, or SAO for short. The world of SAO is set in a video game, where the players "full dive" into the world. Unlike our real world virtual reality, SAO is set in the future where you can fully control your character in the game. The virtual world is set into turmoil when its creator announces that you can't log out of the game, and to die inside it is to die in the real world and the only way to beat it is to beat the 100 levels inside the game.
So starts the adventure. You create your own character and follow some well known names from the anime around the world, along side a AI sidekick which you can equip weapons, armour and abilities. A recent update has added the 11th floor to the game. This shows the sort of longevity that the developers have thought out for the game, but also demonstrates a potential downside as there isn't a way to complete the game whenever you want.
Like a lot of mobile games, it does have simple controls, but unlike a lot of mobile games, have a rather in-depth inventory and abilities, which adds to the whole experience. You can create your own weapons, which adds a random factor to the abilities assigned to the weapons. This also applies to armour, which means that not everyone's play through is the same. The quests for the first few floors follows a theme involving elves, which does have an alright story, but maybe not as engaging as it could be. I did find myself skipping through a lot of text as I knew it was leading to a fight or a fetch quest. The combat is fun but can get a bit confusing as to what you are targeting due to the amount of animation and colour on the screen, but the variety of skills is brilliant, so you can find a weapon and play style to suit anyone.
One thing I haven't seen in many games is the ability to see other players going through the game along side you. SAO is an MMO in the anime, and in this game you can see other real world players attacking creatures or in the save zones chilling and chatting. For a mobile game, which often can feel quite lonely, this does add a great aspect.
Now with a lot of free to play games there are multiple types of currency: Col, which you can use to buy items and pay for services such as upgrading equipment, Arcana Gems which are used to get new abilities, and can be bought with real money, and a third currency which you get by selling of cosmetic outfits for your avatar. This game does give you the option of turning of the ability to buy items though, which is a nice touch. You can also earn a lot of the Arcana Gems throughout the game, with log in bonuses and special events, so there really isn't a need to buy anything anyway!
I do enjoy this game, but then I do enjoy the anime also, so it could be a case of rose tinted spectacles, but I have been playing it most evenings for the last month or so. The story is compelling enough to keep me interested, even though it can be a bit dull on occasion. There are plenty of side quests to complete, and the difficulty on the higher floors is just enough that you need to put in a bit of effort in grinding monsters and quests to gain experience an items. This seems to drive the fine line for a free to play game that its fun to play but doesn't ask you to buy stuff all the time. The difficulty curve is there, but its not too difficult.
This game is intriguing; I normally get bored with these sort of things within the first week. I don't know completely why, but I will be playing this tonight for half an hour or so, so I guess as a mobile game its found the sweet spot for me.
I would give this 8/10
One game I have been playing, normally just for half an hour in the evening, is Sword Art Online: Integral Factor.
This is a mobile game which is available for both Android and iOS, and like a lot of mobile games, is a free-to-play one with a freemium model. Its based on the anime (and manga) call Sword Art Online, or SAO for short. The world of SAO is set in a video game, where the players "full dive" into the world. Unlike our real world virtual reality, SAO is set in the future where you can fully control your character in the game. The virtual world is set into turmoil when its creator announces that you can't log out of the game, and to die inside it is to die in the real world and the only way to beat it is to beat the 100 levels inside the game.
So starts the adventure. You create your own character and follow some well known names from the anime around the world, along side a AI sidekick which you can equip weapons, armour and abilities. A recent update has added the 11th floor to the game. This shows the sort of longevity that the developers have thought out for the game, but also demonstrates a potential downside as there isn't a way to complete the game whenever you want.
Like a lot of mobile games, it does have simple controls, but unlike a lot of mobile games, have a rather in-depth inventory and abilities, which adds to the whole experience. You can create your own weapons, which adds a random factor to the abilities assigned to the weapons. This also applies to armour, which means that not everyone's play through is the same. The quests for the first few floors follows a theme involving elves, which does have an alright story, but maybe not as engaging as it could be. I did find myself skipping through a lot of text as I knew it was leading to a fight or a fetch quest. The combat is fun but can get a bit confusing as to what you are targeting due to the amount of animation and colour on the screen, but the variety of skills is brilliant, so you can find a weapon and play style to suit anyone.
One thing I haven't seen in many games is the ability to see other players going through the game along side you. SAO is an MMO in the anime, and in this game you can see other real world players attacking creatures or in the save zones chilling and chatting. For a mobile game, which often can feel quite lonely, this does add a great aspect.
Now with a lot of free to play games there are multiple types of currency: Col, which you can use to buy items and pay for services such as upgrading equipment, Arcana Gems which are used to get new abilities, and can be bought with real money, and a third currency which you get by selling of cosmetic outfits for your avatar. This game does give you the option of turning of the ability to buy items though, which is a nice touch. You can also earn a lot of the Arcana Gems throughout the game, with log in bonuses and special events, so there really isn't a need to buy anything anyway!
I do enjoy this game, but then I do enjoy the anime also, so it could be a case of rose tinted spectacles, but I have been playing it most evenings for the last month or so. The story is compelling enough to keep me interested, even though it can be a bit dull on occasion. There are plenty of side quests to complete, and the difficulty on the higher floors is just enough that you need to put in a bit of effort in grinding monsters and quests to gain experience an items. This seems to drive the fine line for a free to play game that its fun to play but doesn't ask you to buy stuff all the time. The difficulty curve is there, but its not too difficult.
This game is intriguing; I normally get bored with these sort of things within the first week. I don't know completely why, but I will be playing this tonight for half an hour or so, so I guess as a mobile game its found the sweet spot for me.
I would give this 8/10
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