Sad Princess Review

Generally, I don't have a very addictive personality. I don't know if my lack of addictions is a product of laziness, or perhaps I have some strange chemical imbalance. Either way, I usually don't get overly enthralled with games that purposefully attempt to hook you, but I know there are plenty of people out there who can't get enough of these types of games. I would put Sad Princess in the same category as a typical Facebook game because it uses a similar marketing scheme. It has some redeeming qualities, but the use of in app purchases really hinders the experience.

Sad Princess is a game about an emo princess who is fed up with how the world is, so she sets out to stomp in some monster faces. The opening and cut scenes are all nicely done, and have a Adobe Flash animated look. That being said, I still couldn't get into the story due to its cliche, royal heir sets out to save the day, nature. The story isn't really a necessary aspect though because the game relies heavily on its hack-n-slash elements to draw you in. The controls are solid, and you are given some customization options for the interface. I found the default set-up to be ideal, as I didn't have any trouble controlling my character.

You will spend most of your game time running through repetitive levels tapping the attack icon on screen. The gameplay is simple on the surface, but there are a nice amount of options available if you can be bothered to look for them. There isn't a tutorial, so I can see some users being a little confused if they aren't familiar with action RPG's. Basically, you fight your way through side scrolling levels using various weapons and items in an attempt to amass more coins and experience. At the end of each level you are teleported to a cave where you can upgrade your weapon, buy new items, and manage your pets.

The pet system is the most redeeming quality that the game has. It can be addictive if you have the right personality because there are a variety of pets to collect and raise. You have the ability to buy different pet eggs to hatch and take with you on your adventures (they help you in battle). Your pets gain levels and grow as they gain experience just like your main character. The graphics and animation are cute, and the variety of monsters to battle increases over time. The environments look great, but they get old fast because the levels re-use the same backdrops regularly.

Gaining levels isn't terribly tough, but earning enough coins to buy anything can be terribly dull. The developer claims that you can access everything in the game without using their in app purchases (which allow you to buy in game currency), but I found that the system was a little one sided. You could theoretically sit on your iPhone for hours farming for the coins you need to unlock your favorite pet or upgrade your current weapon, but the gameplay is too repetitive to be rewarding. If you have the drive you might be able to enjoy the game without buying coins, but I expect most people will need to make the in app purchases to fully enjoy the game.

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