King’s Bounty II has all the ingredients of a great strategy game but is held back by a counterintuitive UI and generic story elements. While the overworld offers a beautiful open environment to explore, often there’s not enough there to hold your attention as a player, and you’ll find yourself wandering around aimlessly. Added to this is that your character’s travel is particularly slow, the game has a sleepy pace at times that holds the overall experience back. While its strategy battles feature some interesting ideal mechanics that might appeal to die-hard fans of the franchise, if you’re looking for a broad roleplaying strategy experience, King’s Bounty II might not be the best fit for you.
Dice Legacy brings a refreshing and challenging strategy format to the table. The dice mechanics will force you to think on your feet and adapt your strategy along the way, making Dice Legacy’s core gameplay more energetic and dynamic compared to other titles in the genre. While this gameplay format comes with a level of unpredictability which may not be for everyone, it dishes up classic strategy format with a unique twist. For newcomers, Dice Legacy may take a little while to crack, but for gamers with a soft spot for strategy, it’s worth every minute of your time.
Sheltered 2 offers players an interesting mix of resourcing, crafting, and combat mechanics. With plenty of stats to keep an eye on throughout a playthrough, you’ll find yourself making complex decisions to keep your faction alive. Through the added feature of expedition parties and combat, Sheltered 2’s gameplay feels varied and engaging overall. While its user interface can be complex and overwhelming at times and its aspects of micromanagement might not be for everyone, if you’re a strategy aficionado who’s not deterred by numbers, there’s plenty to love in Sheltered 2.
On the surface, Inscryption is described as a card game, but it hides a lot more than just cards under the bonnet. Prepare for a layered story, thrilling surprises, and terrifying yet fascinating characters that will keep you glued to your seat. The game masterfully expands on the story playthrough after playthrough, providing a fresh perspective with each run. In this sense, Inscryption is a great twist on the otherwise repetitive roguelike formula that has dominated the deckbuilder genre in the last few years. This, in addition to the strange storytelling we’ve come to expect from Daniel Mullins, makes for a gaming experience that is not to be missed for card game and narrative game fans alike.
If you’re a fan of the casual FPS format typical of games like Overwatch or Apex Legends but are keen for something new, Lemnis Gate will provide plenty of entertainment.