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Tag: Building »

Hotel Transylvania 2 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on September 28th, 2015
Our rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar :: SHALLOW SETTLEMENTS
Hotel Transylvania 2 might look cute, but there's not much to it.
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Monzo Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on November 10th, 2014
Our rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar :: EXPENSIVE BUT NEAT
Monzo is a neat idea for those who want to build model kits without the mess, but it turns very expensive.
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Star Realms Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Andrew Fisher on August 20th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: A STAR IS BORN
Star Realms is an excellent adaptation of an outstanding deck-builder. With great visuals and an effective presentation, Star Realms is awesome.
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Principia Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Charlie Miller on March 7th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: ENGINEERS REJOICE!
Principia is an in-depth building/tinkering/creation game aimed directly at engineering and electronics enthusiasts.
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BeBop Blox Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Amy Solomon on November 20th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: MUSICAL BUILDING BLOCKS
BeBop Blox is an early building block app with puzzle elements as well as charming sights and sounds.
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Modern War Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on November 7th, 2013
Our rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar :: SLOW MOVING WAR
Slow developing and potentially very expensive, Modern War lacks sufficient original features to really hook players in.
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Bamba Toys Review

iPad App - Designed for iPad
By Amy Solomon on October 9th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: ACTION FIGURE BUILDER
Bamba Toys is a fun interactive roleplaying app allowing children to create their own action figures.
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SimpleRockets Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Campbell Bird on September 11th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: MOBILE SPACE PROGRAM
Manage a space program, or just blow up a bunch of ridiculous creations, in this physics-based space simulator.
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Pocket Fort HD Review

iPad App - Designed for iPad
By Rob Rich on August 7th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar :: LIFELESS
Pocket Fort HD seems to borrow heavily from another source, but its total lack of fun is the real disappointment.
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BlocksWorld HD Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on August 1st, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: BRICK THE WORLD
BlocksWorld HD is more toy than it is game, but it can be entertaining to mess around with.
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Rivals for Catan Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on July 2nd, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: FEELS LIKE WORK
There's a good card game here, it's just buried under a ridiculously unfriendly interface.
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Galaxy At War Online Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on June 18th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: THE FAMILIAR FRONTIER
Galaxy At War Online has all the familiar trappings of many compelling freemium games. The problem is that it's a very familiar formula. And it's not actually free at the moment.
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Rigonauts HD Review

iPad App - Designed for iPad
By Angela LaFollette on April 11th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: ONWARD
A challenging modular game where players must build the ultimate battleship to take out dangerous enemies.
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Fantasy Quest Review

Posted by Rob Rich on March 28th, 2013
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Developer: GAMEVIL
Price: FREE
Version: 1.10
App Reviewed on: iPhone 5
Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Playtime Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

[rating:overall]

I’m just going to say it: Fantasy Quest has a slow burn to it. Not that it’s bad once things pick up, but until it reaches that point it can be a fairly significant grind. And not the fun sort of grind, either. Thankfully once players get past that initial roadblock they’ll find a free-to-play kingdom building RPG that isn’t all that easy to put down.

Fantasy Quest is essentially two kinds of free-to-play games in one. There’s the town building with all the expectant tax collection and land expansion, and the energy-reliant RPG-ing with a number of different characters and quests. Both feed into each other, of course, with buildings created in town effecting what characters can be hired for a team and goods earned from slaying goblins and such necessary for expanding the town. It’s all fairly simple in practice but there’s also has a sort of refined elegance to the way each aspect plays off of the other, as well as how they’re both very accessible without being mindless.

The kingdom building aspects are mostly typical of a lot of free-to-play games these days with the exception of being able to raid other players’ settlements. Not that this is a new idea, but the way it’s implemented is pretty clever: stamina is needed to attack specific buildings and each hit (damage determined by the questing team, surrounding buildings, etc) coughs up various resources, including Valor that acts as a kind of special currency. What I find refreshing about it is the fact that being raided doesn’t incite rage. Sure I might lose a few coins, but I hardly lose enough to get mad over and raiding other players can more than make up for lost income.

The actual RPG-like quests can be entertaining as well, although they don’t really pick up until after a third party member is acquired. It can be incredibly slow going at first but once that threshold is passed players will find themselves with a competent group of adventurers, each with their own sets of equipment to manage and special skills to learn. It’s a little unfortunate that there isn’t a larger selection of basic units (only one of each type can be bought with non-premium currency) but it isn’t exactly a game breaking detail. A more significant (and literally game breaking) problem is the occasional crash or server hang-up while in the middle of a fight. Again, not so bad when all that’s really lost is a little time and some energy that replenishes at a fairly generous rate, but it can still be irritating.

Fantasy Quest feels a bit like a slow “me too” kind of fantasy freemium game at first, but it really does come into its own once players progress past the intro phase. It’s definitely a good time so long as one has the patience.

Pixel People Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on January 31st, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: WHY IS THIS FUN?
Players beware: despite being simple and seemingly without any real purpose, Pixel People is inexplicably tough to put down.
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