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Brumpolarbears (22 KP) rated The Hobbit in Tabletop Games
Jun 18, 2019
Delving into Middle-Earth
As Middle Earth fever prepares to take hold once again with talk of a Lord of the Rings inspired TV show, I thought it might be time to take the adventures of Bilbo into the living room in the form of The Hobbit Board Game.
Gathering four of my best companions to join me on the adventure, we settled down for an evening of troll slaying and dragon fighting.
Based on the J.R.R Tolkien book as opposed to the film releases, The Hobbit is a game for 2-5 players which utilises a scorecard system rather than individual player pieces. The aim of the game, kill Smaug and find the treasure – simple enough surely?
When opening the box we were pleasantly surprised by the level of detail of the board as well as some rather beautifully illustrated dwarf cards. A lot of work had gone into these which is why we were a bit surprised by the Bilbo and Smaug figures which were plastic and painted red
Having laid out all of the pieces we then tackled the game instructions, which actually took as long as Bilbo’s journey to the Lonely Mountain. Having passed the instructions around we decided to just play the game and when we came to a segment we weren’t sure about, we would refer back. Despite the initial hiatus, The Hobbit is a rather enjoyable game, however not for unseasoned gamers.
The game is split into four adventures. Players must level up their initiative, cunning, and strength in order to battle goblins, fight wolves and escape elves before confronting Smaug himself. On the way, players will also collect gems which is ultimately the aim of the game as the player with the most is declared the winner at the end.
Each adventure comes with a series of adventure cards which break down into Gifts, Abilities and Travelcards. Gift cards present players with attribute benefits; Abilities assist players with battles; and Travelcards move Bilbo along his adventure. When encountering a battle, players must roll five dice in order to match certain conditions before moving on. Should the conditions not be met, players must draw a Dragon card, which incurs penalties and may result in Smaug moving across the board. Should Smaug reach Laketown, the game is over and the player with the most gems is declared the winner.
Having played the game with four other players we did actually have fun once we got into it and overcame the rather confusing rules. My best advice would be to have someone read the instructions before you and your friends sit down together as it can eat into the evening.
Gathering four of my best companions to join me on the adventure, we settled down for an evening of troll slaying and dragon fighting.
Based on the J.R.R Tolkien book as opposed to the film releases, The Hobbit is a game for 2-5 players which utilises a scorecard system rather than individual player pieces. The aim of the game, kill Smaug and find the treasure – simple enough surely?
When opening the box we were pleasantly surprised by the level of detail of the board as well as some rather beautifully illustrated dwarf cards. A lot of work had gone into these which is why we were a bit surprised by the Bilbo and Smaug figures which were plastic and painted red
Having laid out all of the pieces we then tackled the game instructions, which actually took as long as Bilbo’s journey to the Lonely Mountain. Having passed the instructions around we decided to just play the game and when we came to a segment we weren’t sure about, we would refer back. Despite the initial hiatus, The Hobbit is a rather enjoyable game, however not for unseasoned gamers.
The game is split into four adventures. Players must level up their initiative, cunning, and strength in order to battle goblins, fight wolves and escape elves before confronting Smaug himself. On the way, players will also collect gems which is ultimately the aim of the game as the player with the most is declared the winner at the end.
Each adventure comes with a series of adventure cards which break down into Gifts, Abilities and Travelcards. Gift cards present players with attribute benefits; Abilities assist players with battles; and Travelcards move Bilbo along his adventure. When encountering a battle, players must roll five dice in order to match certain conditions before moving on. Should the conditions not be met, players must draw a Dragon card, which incurs penalties and may result in Smaug moving across the board. Should Smaug reach Laketown, the game is over and the player with the most gems is declared the winner.
Having played the game with four other players we did actually have fun once we got into it and overcame the rather confusing rules. My best advice would be to have someone read the instructions before you and your friends sit down together as it can eat into the evening.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Mortal Kombat 11 in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The latest entry in the long-running Mortal Kombat series has arrived and Mortal Kombat 11 brings all the bone crushing gore and actions that fans have come to expect from the series.
With an impressive roster of characters for fans to select to play, there are of course the brutal multiplayer options where gamers can play each other for bragging rights and there is also a great mode of Konquer Klassic Towers.
The towers are a throwback to the earlier games where players would fight a tower of enemies where each level represented a greater challenge and intensity. In Mortal Kombat 11 this mode serves as a great tutorial and way for players to hone their skills before taking on more deadly and challenging enemies.
The game has a solid core story which again pits the forces of good and evil in a series of battles for the fate of the Earth. The cut scenes are cinematic in scale and give a nice intro to the characters and their story. Some may say that they run a bit long and take away from the action at times but they do frame the story very well and give players a context to all of the carnage.
The action is fast and intense and there are a dazzling number of moves players can do aside from the special moves complete with slow-motion looks at the impact of the hits and the blood that is shed from the furious exchanges.
Of course it would not be Mortal Kombat without Fatalities and they are as graphic and extreme as ever which is sure to delight fans of the series.
The game does have a great share of customization options so players looking for new looks for their characters will be able to indulge this wish but for those who are content to take what the game offers; there is a very impressive roster of characters and more will become available via DLC at a later date.
The campaign has players play as different characters which is good as it forces players to move out of their comfort zone and learn how to play different characters. This will cause players to adapt their style as they differ in speed and style as naturally a bigger character will move slower than one of the more agile characters. Naturally they both have differing attacks as one may rely more on power while another uses speed to evade attacks and release combo attacks.
The sound and graphics of the game are first-rate and it is amazing to see how much the game has evolved from the original title. The movement and variety of options for players is amazing and Mortal Kombat 11 once again shows why they are the top fighting game franchise on the market.
http://sknr.net/2019/05/14/mortal-kombat-11/
With an impressive roster of characters for fans to select to play, there are of course the brutal multiplayer options where gamers can play each other for bragging rights and there is also a great mode of Konquer Klassic Towers.
The towers are a throwback to the earlier games where players would fight a tower of enemies where each level represented a greater challenge and intensity. In Mortal Kombat 11 this mode serves as a great tutorial and way for players to hone their skills before taking on more deadly and challenging enemies.
The game has a solid core story which again pits the forces of good and evil in a series of battles for the fate of the Earth. The cut scenes are cinematic in scale and give a nice intro to the characters and their story. Some may say that they run a bit long and take away from the action at times but they do frame the story very well and give players a context to all of the carnage.
The action is fast and intense and there are a dazzling number of moves players can do aside from the special moves complete with slow-motion looks at the impact of the hits and the blood that is shed from the furious exchanges.
Of course it would not be Mortal Kombat without Fatalities and they are as graphic and extreme as ever which is sure to delight fans of the series.
The game does have a great share of customization options so players looking for new looks for their characters will be able to indulge this wish but for those who are content to take what the game offers; there is a very impressive roster of characters and more will become available via DLC at a later date.
The campaign has players play as different characters which is good as it forces players to move out of their comfort zone and learn how to play different characters. This will cause players to adapt their style as they differ in speed and style as naturally a bigger character will move slower than one of the more agile characters. Naturally they both have differing attacks as one may rely more on power while another uses speed to evade attacks and release combo attacks.
The sound and graphics of the game are first-rate and it is amazing to see how much the game has evolved from the original title. The movement and variety of options for players is amazing and Mortal Kombat 11 once again shows why they are the top fighting game franchise on the market.
http://sknr.net/2019/05/14/mortal-kombat-11/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Star Trek Bridge Crew VR in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Star Trek fans finally get the chance to take command in the new Star Trek: Bridge Crew by Ubisoft. The Virtual Reality game is cross-platform so Playstation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive owners can all play with one another which greatly enhance the play experience and options.
Matchmaking was easy as once I completed the training sessions, I was ready to go. I had played the game last summer at PAX West on the Oculus and playing on our Playstation VR was very easy to setup and go. I opted to use the Move controllers vs the Gamepad and in no time I was on the bridge of the USS Ageis.
The game is set in the JJ Abrams Universe and tasks players with finding a new home for the Vulcans in a previously unexplored area of space known as “The Trench”
Players can play as Captain, Helm, Tactical, or Engineering and each has their own tasks essential to mission success and survival. Helm has to pilot the ship, Tactical handles the weapons, Engineering keeps things running and distributes power and repairs, as well as the Transporters, and the Captain calls the shots. Naturally there are navigation maps and other flourishes which help with the immersion as well as being part of the fun.
Players who expect run and gun action will be disappointed as this is a game that works more on tactics than twitch as combat and exploration move at a slower and more deliberate pace than action gamers may be expecting. Encountering hostiles is often a delicate dance of exchanging fire, maneuvering, and damage control, while balancing the decision to fight or flee. Players also have to keep an eye on the energy levels as should a retreat be needed, then power has to be moved from one system to the engines to warp to safety unless you want to try to last on Impulse Power.
The game is challenging and graphics are very solid for a VR game. Players looking for even more nostalgic immersion can play on the Enterprise from the Classic Series but this is suggested for experience crews so it helps to play with others that you know or who have completed multiple missions.
The game does allow players more opened ended options than I expected and it is great fun to have a total stranger who you have just been matched with call you “Captain” and await your orders. The game did have a few glitches at launch but they have been quickly fixed via updates, and I have had mostly smooth sailing aside from an occasional dropped connection or a controller going out of range of the camera.
For pure immersive fun and solid co-op play, Star Trek Bridge Crew offers one of the best Star Trek experiences to date and is a must own for anyone who owns a VR system.
http://sknr.net/2017/06/12/star-trek-bridge-crew/
Matchmaking was easy as once I completed the training sessions, I was ready to go. I had played the game last summer at PAX West on the Oculus and playing on our Playstation VR was very easy to setup and go. I opted to use the Move controllers vs the Gamepad and in no time I was on the bridge of the USS Ageis.
The game is set in the JJ Abrams Universe and tasks players with finding a new home for the Vulcans in a previously unexplored area of space known as “The Trench”
Players can play as Captain, Helm, Tactical, or Engineering and each has their own tasks essential to mission success and survival. Helm has to pilot the ship, Tactical handles the weapons, Engineering keeps things running and distributes power and repairs, as well as the Transporters, and the Captain calls the shots. Naturally there are navigation maps and other flourishes which help with the immersion as well as being part of the fun.
Players who expect run and gun action will be disappointed as this is a game that works more on tactics than twitch as combat and exploration move at a slower and more deliberate pace than action gamers may be expecting. Encountering hostiles is often a delicate dance of exchanging fire, maneuvering, and damage control, while balancing the decision to fight or flee. Players also have to keep an eye on the energy levels as should a retreat be needed, then power has to be moved from one system to the engines to warp to safety unless you want to try to last on Impulse Power.
The game is challenging and graphics are very solid for a VR game. Players looking for even more nostalgic immersion can play on the Enterprise from the Classic Series but this is suggested for experience crews so it helps to play with others that you know or who have completed multiple missions.
The game does allow players more opened ended options than I expected and it is great fun to have a total stranger who you have just been matched with call you “Captain” and await your orders. The game did have a few glitches at launch but they have been quickly fixed via updates, and I have had mostly smooth sailing aside from an occasional dropped connection or a controller going out of range of the camera.
For pure immersive fun and solid co-op play, Star Trek Bridge Crew offers one of the best Star Trek experiences to date and is a must own for anyone who owns a VR system.
http://sknr.net/2017/06/12/star-trek-bridge-crew/
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