Hello everybody! I’m so sorry I missed out on last week’s “Let’s Talk”, but I was caught up in this nifty tabletop inspired game Jericoh and I came across. For the King is a artfully styled single player or Co-Op game that promises endless fun and excitement. Developed by IronOak Games and released April 19, 2018 for all consoles. Being one of the best turn-based games I’ve played in a long time, I had to bring it to light in this weeks article. So buckle in and Let’s Talk: For the King.
Let’s start with perhaps the most important aspect of an RPG, party management. With For the King you get to choose your party before you start each map. A party is made up of three heroes controlled individually by one or up to three players cooperatively. In my opinion co-op is by far the best way to play. There are four main characters/classes: Scholar, Minstrel, Hunter, Blacksmith. they each bring their own unique skills to battle. They all sport varying degrees of armour, resistance, and evasion, as well as a small difference in starting coin and health. As you no doubt suspect, it’s in your interest to bring a well-balanced team; cooperation is key. That balance and cooperation will come in handy during combat, which is a frequent occurrence across the map.
Whose favorite part of an RPG is the combat? I for one live for a combat sequence that make my hands sweaty. The combat system in For the King is a perfect example of this. Combat is turn-based, much like Dungeons and Dragons, with characters taking alternating swipes at each other based on their speed stat. Fights aren’t always fair. Characters can only support each other in battle if they’re within a handful of hexes from the fight; so a surprise ambush can be deadly. Much like Dungeons and Dragons all movement and combat actions in the game are resolved by rolling a dice against your statistics, in this case it’s a 100 sided die. A players statistics usually range from 70-90 in what each player is good at, but are as low as 40 in what they’re bad at. A way to guarantee a better role is to use a character’s Focus. Focus is a limited resource replenished by resting or items, so be careful and use it when it really matters!
After a few hours of play Jericoh and I were in awe. Where had this game been hiding? It’s a goofy dungeon romp personified, with the kind of playful characters that have always been popular in Dungeons & Dragons and other memorable RPGs. Characters and enemies ragdoll hilariously when defeated, flopping about the battlefield in a splash of blood and spray of extraneous bones. Almost all of the equipment is rendered on your character, and it can all range from grim dungeon fantasy to a frilly pink princess hat. For the King flourishes with lightness and humor that can’t be matched. Watching a fishing hat wearing wizard slam a couple mobs with a AOE spell before they flop across the screen ,all the while scattering cartoonish bones and blood, made us laugh over and over.
One of the best things about For the King, is the endless replay ability. Each play-through is unique with procedural maps, quests, and events. That’s endless possibilities! Be a fireball slinging mage crossing the frozen tundra or a Hunter on the high seas! With several different maps that procedurally generate with each play-through, you can be anything you want as long as you seek adventure. So gather up some pals and give this epic title a try!
Thank you all for tuning in this week and learning about this hidden gem of an RPG. Have you guys played any good RPGs lately? If you have drop a comment and let us know the title! If you decide to give For the King a try or have already played it, drop a comment and tell me what you thought about it. Have a great week everybody and tune in next week for another installment of Let’s Talk!
101 Militia Gaming 