Solara is an online persistent RPG where you build a cast of fighters, complete quests and build up your castle. Gamezebo's quick start strategy guide will provide you with detailed images, tips, information, and hints on how to play your best game.
We reviewers love our labels, but some games just won't cooperate and wear them. Solara is one of those non-conformists, since it has sim, strategy and fantasy RPG traits, but not enough of any of them to neatly classify. It's also free and fun, though in a way that creeps up on you gradually more than it smacks you in the face - which is good, since that would probably cancel out the fun.
Longtime readers of this site may know I have a problem with the current explosion of social strategy games. By the time you've played your twentieth variation of the same formula, they've all started to blur together into a confused jumble of housing, farms, and amicable quest givers. I think I've forgotten the names of most of them. And that's why I found myself looking so forward to Godsrule: War of Mortals. For one, it was published by Sega, whose name still evokes awesomeness despite the many years since the glory days of Sonic the Hedgehog; and for another, it promised to deliver a brand of social strategy combat worth paying attention to. Here, I'd hoped, was a social strategy game worthy of the gods.
The first time I heard the title Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, I thought of some funny little sea critter with an awkward horn, who has to scour the ocean floor for shrimp and things to feed on. But boy, I couldn't have been more wrong about that one. However, I don't think I've ever been so happy to be wrong in my entire life before, because what the game Oceanhorn actually turns out to be is nothing short of amazing.
Am I the only one who's a little sick and tired of the term "dungeon crawler"? I mean, these dank and treasure-filled caves are just lurking with bats and spiders and other nasty creatures at every turn, so why not make a serious break for it as soon as you get inside? Get in and get out with that treasure is what I say!
I've been mucking about with Dragon Bane for a while now; slaying undead, battling dragons, forging powerful new gear, and so on. In all that time I still haven't managed to figure out how I feel about it. There are some interesting ideas here and a surprising amount of unique elements. Conversely it also uses a very bizarre freemium model that dilutes the fun a bit. It's complicated.
Striking a balance between depth and accessibility has often been a hassle in strategy RPGs. Some games aren't deep enough and others are too difficult. A select few games take the Goldilocks route and are just right. Rebirth of Fortune 2 comes close to finding that balance, but slow-paced battles and imbalanced multiplayer take away from what is otherwise a fun experience.
I like a good fantasy role-playing game as much as anyone, but sometimes you just get that craving for a different setting. Like, any other setting. And while there are alternatives out there, not many involve leading a group of explorers through the New World of the 16th Century. Expeditions: Conquistador will do just that come May 30, turning the search for El Dorado into a tactical RPG for PC, Mac or Linux computers.