My Kingdom for the Princess 2 Review

I unexpectedly had a good time with My Kingdom for the Princess 2. I know it's wrong, but the name alone scared me away at first. Anything with an exceedingly long title and the word princess in it isn't going to instantly catch my eye. In the end I decided to go against my instincts and give the game a whirl.

My Kingdom for the Princess 2 is a resource management/strategy title with loads of charm and deceptively deep gameplay. It features 60 levels spread out across five different islands, several awards to collect, fun mini-games, and nifty power-ups. The in-game graphics are beautiful and vivid because the style is a hand drawn look that really pops on the iPad's bright screen.

The game starts you out on a typical island with one worker and an objective. The basic gameplay consists of tapping different obstacles and resources on the map to clear a path so your workers can move onto the next level. This sounds simple enough, but there is a time limit that measures how much daylight you have, and if you don't complete the task before sundown you won't be rewarded. Add the fact that every action requires wood, gold, or food, and you end up with a fairly satisfying strategy experience. As you progress through the levels you are granted more and more peons who will do your bidding. These range from common laborers to hunters who can destroy certain menacing obstacles (giant bugs). Ultimately, the increased units, tasks, and obstacles make for some frantic gaming.

A certain level of replayability is added to the game by way of a virtual treasure chest. Every time you pass a certain milestone or earn an achievement, a little knick-knack is added to your treasure hold. Another main feature of the game is the ability to increase your kingdom by doing well on each of the 60 levels. If you beat the levels within a certain time frame you are awarded with new buildings that enhance the majesty of your budding kingdom. This is the really addictive aspect of the game because it caused me to replay several levels just to unlock new areas for my kingdom.

There are also fun mini-games littered throughout the vast overworld map. One, for instance, had me defending my helpless workes from angry hornets by smashing them with my pointer finger before they could make it to the central area of the map. These mini-games are replayable too, so if you enjoy one of them you can access it anytime.

My Kingdom for the Princess 2 starts out relatively simple, but it ramps up in difficulty, fast. If you're into light hearted strategy titles, this one fits the bill perfectly. It offers several hours of gameplay, and the added bonus of replayability. I didn't care for the story because it seemed more like a means to an end ordeal, but that didn't dampen the experience at all.

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