I don’t review a lot of video games on this blog. In point of fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever reviewed a video game on the site here. However, Battle Forge came across my desk the other day, and I felt it deserved a quick note.
I used to be a big fan of Magic: The Gathering. If you don’t know what that is, you’re either older than me (but not old enough to have kids that remember the 90’s), or were one of the cool kids that didn’t find themselves hanging out in libraries and around kitchen tables many an evening in your youth. That’s alright, I won’t hold it against you; but I was, and frankly, it was a great time in life!
Enter an heir apparent: Battle Forge. The game reminds me of a lot of other Real Time Strategy games like the Command & Conquer series, or Warhammer. The twist in Battle Forge is that it integrates a real-time, resource-based gaming experience with the card gaming experience (Magic-esque, not poker). You design your “deck” of cards that you’ll use to thwart your enemies. There are 4 main groups of power that you can tap from… Frost, Fire, Nature, and Shadow. You design your potential army through a deck management system, and then battle opponents online (or vs. computer in solo-play). The game really takes shape in the online system, where you can challenge others to combat in an experience that happily reminds me of my library-bound youth [Side note: I turned out cool enough]. There are even “booster packs” available which let you pick up more units (some more rare than others).
The fundamental problem with Battle Forge, as I see it, is the fact that it’s rated ‘T’ for Teen gaming. I’m not sure if parents even pay attention to those ratings when considering what games to let their kids play, but the experience seems like it ought to be well within the reasonable capabilities of a 4th grader. There’s a lot of depth here, don’t get me wrong, but this particular style of game might not appeal to the older, more advanced gamers looking for a more comprehensive RTS experience.
Ultimately, Battle Forge is a fun game, filled with surprising variation and nearly limitless opportunities to tweak your deck and fight the perfect fight. If you’re in the mood for something just off the beaten gaming path, Battle Forge may well be worth the try.
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