What We Liked..
Historical accuracy and attention to detail
Beautiful graphics
Intuitive interface
Free-to-play model
.. and what we didn't
Slow pace of gameplay
Underdeveloped PvP
Genre: managerial, simulation, strategy, war
Setting: historical, present, city
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: PvE
Rise of Cultures is a strategy game for browsers and mobile devices developed by InnoGames. The game takes players on a journey through different eras of human history, starting from the Stone Age and ending in the Middle Ages. Players must build and manage their cities, research new technologies, and engage in battles with other players.
One of the key features of Rise of Cultures is its emphasis on historical accuracy. The game provides players with a detailed representation of the cultures and societies of each era, including their architecture, technology, and military tactics. This attention to detail makes the game both educational and immersive.
In terms of gameplay, Rise of Cultures offers a variety of activities to engage in: you can build and upgrade buildings, gather resources, and train troops, both solo or with your fellow guild companions.
One of the biggest strengths of Rise of Cultures lies in its graphics. The artworks are stylish, beautiful and detailed, and they really bring the historical eras to life. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, making it extremely accessible to both new and experienced players.
Rise of Cultures also features a well-balanced free-to-play model. While it does offer in-app purchases, you can enjoy the full experience without spending any money, for real. This makes it a great option for players who are looking for a high-quality game without breaking the bank.
However, there are also some downsides...
Some players may find the pace of the game to be slow, as it can take time to gather resources and build up a strong city. Also, the multiplayer component is quite underdeveloped as the main emphasis of the game is on PvE: while somebody could consider it as an advantage, those looking for a hard challenge against other human players are going to be disappointed.
Overall, Rise of Cultures is a solid strategy game that offers a lot of worthy content. Its historical accuracy and attention to detail make it stand out from other games in the genre, and its free-to-play model makes it accessible to a wide range of players.
What We Liked..
Relaxing
Colorful
.. and what we didn't
Nothing (if you can live without killing everything that moves)
One day you receive a letter from your grandfather asking for your help. A strange stone circle has appeared in the peaceful world of Sunrise Village. The buildings are overgrown with thorny vines and everything else is shrouded in a mysterious thick fog. The events seem to be connected to an ancient story about legendary craftsmen who created six magical crystals to harness their elemental energy. Will you manage to find the crystals? Hurry up and help your grandfather to rebuild the village and uncover its secrets!
Meet friendly villagers on your way and help them repair their houses and workshops. Take care of your adorable farm animals: Chickens and cows need your attention. Harvest vegetables such as peas and produce goods such as hay, plywood, gravel - and even sweets! You'll need these and many other resources to generate energy, rebuild the farm, construct a hot air balloon, travel the countryside and finally solve the mystery of Sunrise Village.
Take a break from hectic city life, enjoy a pristine natural landscape and explore the breathtaking beauty of Sunrise Village, its forest and other locations in the area. Navigate the world map and unlock new areas. Let's go on an adventure!
What We Liked..
Fast-paced gameplay
Convincing atmosphere
.. and what we didn't
Lacks some content
Embark on the immersive world of Naraka: Bladepoint, a distinctive battle royale game released in August 2021 and converted to Free-to-Play in late 2023 by 24 Entertainment and NetEase Games Montreal. Set on Morus Island, the game accommodates up to 60 players, allowing them to choose from a diverse roster of heroes, each equipped with unique skills.
Naraka: Bladepoint stands out with its focus on martial arts-inspired melee combat and a rock-paper-scissors combat system, creating a dynamic and challenging gameplay experience.
Whether venturing solo or teaming up in trios, players navigate the island, adapting to a shrinking safe zone and strategic encounters with other squads.
With a global player base surpassing 6 million copies sold, the game transitioned to a free-to-play model, extending its reach across PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PlayStation 5 platforms.
Naraka: Bladepoint offers an engaging and accessible entry into the world of battle royale, where players can enjoy the thrill of combat and strategic gameplay in a visually captivating environment.
What We Liked..
Magic and superpowers makes things interesting
Retains familiar gameplay
Character system offers long term goals
.. and what we didn't
Premium is pretty expensive
Graphics
CRSED is a grotesque battle royale online shooter that lets you play as one of eight unique hero characters, and each one will offer a different combat style thanks to their skills.
Unlike most generic battle royale games, CRSED has littered its maps with ritual sites offering mythical superpowers and magic abilities (that of course bring advantages to the players who use them), alongside traditional weaponry and... yes, the frying pan.
There's plenty of progression with skill trees for your characters, new seasonal content to keep things fresh, and a cosmetic shop to dress them up when you want to look fancy.
CRSED offers the familiar battle royale gameplay experience with a much-appreciated touch of humour.
What We Liked..
Unique MMORPG experience
Social friendly community
Plenty of content
Mobile version available
.. and what we didn't
Restrictive free trial
Dated graphics
Star Stable Online is a free to play MMORPG that's all about horses and female heroines.
Players create their characters and horses, and are taken to Jorvic, a fantasy island in which you'll quest, raise and train horses, and grow your heroine and stable while making new online friends.
The game has been around since 2011 and contains thousands of quests, but quantity doesn't mean quality as most of the questing mechanics are old-school in nature and mundane.
Gameplay mechanics are rather clunky when it comes to horse control, but key systems like racing are fun to participate in.
The game while free does have a limited trial up until level 5, when a payment becomes necessary to continue playing.
Overall, it's a unique MMORPG for younger audiences and horse lovers alike.
What We Liked..
A fun twist on battle royales
Free to play
Fair way to earn cosmetics
.. and what we didn't
Lack of maps and modes
Queue times are long
Optimization issues
Cuisine Royal is a refreshing battle royale game that pits players against each other either in solo, duo or squad groups on a large open map. The game features similar gameplay to other battle royale titles such as gearing up through searching houses and other buildings on the map for weapons, and moving to secured locations when the safe timer is up. Cuisine Royale stands out by letting players use kitchen utensils like cooking pans, pots and chef knives as part of the equipment players can fight with.
For a free to play game, Cuisine Royale offers some limited character progression through its crafting system that lets you earn cool looking rewards like masks and outfits. While there are three sever locations currently, the player base fluctuates and it can be hard to find matches off prime time hours.
What We Liked..
Gameplay is simple yet complex enough to keep the player engaged
Accelerated time keeps the game moving and interesting
Graphics are engaging and excellent
.. and what we didn't
Dangerously easy to rely on the game shop
Not good on battery life
Very time consuming as you level up
If orange is the new black, then farming is the new popular app. With games like Farmville and Hay Day, players can immerse themselves into the artificial pleasures of farming. This includes things like growing crops, raising livestock, and delivering goods and services to awaiting customers. Like Farmville, Township got its start on the Facebook platform and evolved into a standalone app. But where Farmville and Hay Day focus strictly on farm-building, Township expands the player's reach into other areas of development, like house-building, factories, restaurants, movie theaters, and even a zoo. It blends farm and city building together into something that's less 'nostalgic farming' and more 'farming metropolis'. The game is also quick to catch on to, with a fairly basic tutorial that relies on simple animated GIFs that show the player exactly how to play, but leaves enough room to let the player explore on their own if they want.
With a fairly basic premise ("Congratulations on inheriting some property!"), a simple-yet-complex gaming structure that keeps you engaged, and amazing graphics, Township remains a top contender in the world-building simulation apps out there.
What We Liked..
Free to play and mostly fair
Good graphics
Runs well on modern rigs
.. and what we didn't
Low player population and long match finding queues
Input lag issues
notmycar is a free to play vehicular battle royale game, featuring fast cars and deadly weapons in fast paced matches using familiar battle royale mechanics. The game is in early access beta, meaning that more features and gameplay improvements will be added over time. There are limited game modes available, but players can expect brand new rewards from progression systems like XP levels up, or they can be purchased from the Season Pass and Cash Store.
The game runs very well with excellent graphics and presentation. Gameplay is fluid and fun, but suffers from occasional input lag in which skills don't react fast enough to make a difference in vital moments. The playerbase is also low for a game that's fairly new. Overall, notmycar is a fresh entry into the battle royale genre and one that's worth a look if you enjoy pimping out cars.
What We Liked..
Faster gunplay than other games that sets it apart
Good amount of weapon customizations including accessories like keychains
Easy join and leave game lobbies to get into the action quicker
.. and what we didn't
Very generic maps and gameplay features
Not new player friendly as newbie lobbies are empty all the time
Only 5 maps since 2016
Watch the trailer:
Zula is a full 3D, team-based first person shooter that's been out since 2016, developed by IDC Games. The setting for its matches take place in present modern day era, and players can battle it out on a variety of realistic maps from Turkey to Ukraine, and the battlefield designs are strategic.
The gunplay is incredibly fast-paced and shooting feels excellent as bullet sprays are quick. This means enemy players die quicker, resulting in a hectic and frantic feeling in matches. However, the core gameplay is generic and bland as there are only 5 maps. This is further accentuated by the limited amount of game modes that we've already seen in similar games.
Overall, Zula is a decent free to play first person shooter that delivers fast paced action matches if that's what you crave from your FPS games. It has long haul progression systems for player levels to unlock weapon upgrades, in addition to skins and customization from both in-game and cash store to keep you busy.
What We Liked..
Available on Steam
Fun and fluid combat
gorgeous art style
solid voice acting
.. and what we didn't
Combat gets repetitive after a while
lack of endgame content
English version has halved exp rates and double energy costs
obnoxious stamina system
too many P2P/P2W elements
server issues and long loading times
Anime MMORPGs are a rare breed. Good ones anyway, and for use anime and MMO fans, that’s a darn shame. So when a good Anime MMORPG comes around, we play it as long as we can and cherish it more than that all-red Pokeball.
SoulWorker is a refreshing entry into the somewhat sparse Anime MMORPG genre. The art style is just plain gorgeous, and the combat is fast and furious, no Vin Diesel required. And most importantly, the game is fun.
While it lasts at least. The game is still young, but in its’ current state, there just isn’t enough to do. Players will have a blast in the initial hours, but once the serious grinding starts, the fun drops off a cliff. The endgame is pretty nonexistent, and what little there is to do, isn’t very enjoyable. Soul Worker is an instanced based, dungeon hack and slash, and it can get very repetitive very quickly. And the alterations that Game Forge made to the game, make the bad aspects of Soul Worker even worse. In its’ current state, it doesn’t have much in the way of lasting power, but it’s a great way to spend a weekend or two with friends.
Rise of Cultures
Sunrise Village
Naraka Bladepoint
CRSED F.O.A.D.
Star Stable Online
Cuisine Royale
Township
notmycar
Zula
Soul Worker
