Tag: Rayark »

Rayark, the celebrated developers of Implosion - Never Lose Hope have another game on the horizon. In two weeks, Sdorica - Sunset, will be hitting the App Store in the US, which is a fantasy puzzle rpg of sorts. In the lead up to release, we’ve been playing Sdorica to unpack exactly what it is so you’ll know what to expect when it comes out on April 19.

It’s a unique matching game

As a game, Sdorica fits into the same mold of a bunch of puzzle rpgs. You have a cast of characters that you level up and take on missions to fight all kinds of other enemies using turn-based gameplay that involves matching blocks to unleash attacks and abilities.

That said, the matching in Sdorica is a little unlike most games we’ve seen before. Your matching field is only two rows deep and features as many colors of tiles as you have people in your party. There’s no shuffling blocks around or anything like that, either. Instead, you tap on any tile you want, and you have the option to drag to select any nearby blocks of the same color to be included in the match. Depending on the number of blocks you select, your character will perform different moves, and you have to learn how best to harness these abilities so you can beat your enemies before they beat you.

[Trying to decide if Implosion is worth buying? Check out our review.]

Fighting your way through Implosion’s many, many levels isn’t difficult to figure out - by which I mean it won’t take long to learn the ropes - but the Ark System it uses to manage your upgrades never really gets a proper explanation. So rather than trying to feel your way around, how about you let us show you the ropes?

The Basics

The Ark System is split into four sections where you can equip different systems you find or purchase - Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Lambda. All systems can affect your power or endurance, along with other systems unique to their category.

• Alpha - 2 slots. Tends to focus on passive attack bonuses like critical rates and ballistics damage. Some upgrades also affect your shield power and can increase item drop rates.
  
  
• Beta - 2 slots. More defense-oriented with upgrades that increase amor, agility, and shield repair.
  
  
• Gamma - 2 slots. Emphasizes things like HP recovery, “Rage,” and restorative powers. Some upgrades can also include the Hack ability, which will be necessary to access certain locked rooms in various levels.
  
  
• Lambda - 1 slot. These upgrades grant entirely new special abilities, such as creating a temporary shield or triggering an area-effect attack.