With the last month or so being a bit light on major games I was really wanted to play, the only thing I really had to look forward to for the last half of june and early half of july was Fate: Grand Order, a mobile game based on the "fate" series of anime and games that are hugely popular in japan.
Now, I knew I was going to like it well enough, already. I'm a shameless fanboy of the fate series. Fate/zero is in my top 3 favorite anime of all time, and the series' premise of summoning famous figures from world history and mythology, with surprisingly subtle details to their designs and abilities, makes it fairly intriguing to people with a passing interest in either subject. I love both, so sign me the hell up. Me and Cu Chulainn are gonna paint the town red, bro!
The thing is, though, there are plenty of freemium app games I've bought out of sheer fanboyness in the past. Fire Emblem's app, Tales' series app, Simpsons' app... however, while they were passingly decent time wasters, I never got particularly invested in them. The skinner box design means the games intentionally designed themselves to only really be playable for a few minutes at a time, a few times a day and the developers were clearly told to work more on making them feel compulsive, rather than fun.
Fate GO isn't entirely devoid of these problems, but it has a much, much stronger focus on story than any other freemium game I've ever played, which goes a long way to help it be appealing. Likewise, it uses a turn-based combat system that is far from the most advanced or deep thing you'll ever find, but it IS at least complex enough to have a variety of strategies available, and to reward building teams with certain goals in mind. There's no pvp element, so it's not a pay-to-win, though servants who have better growth rates and stats (as well as servants who are more appealing to the whole "waifu crowd) are rarer than more generic ones... so it's a... pay-to-waifu game, I guess?
It launched yesterday night, and I've already put 8 or so hours into it... the only other mobile game I ever had this much fun with was Fallout shelter... which led me to wonder.
So, escapist community, my simulacrum of a healthy social circle who shares my interests, my encounter with the game led me to wonder 3 things:
1.) Anyone else here played FGO? If so, what did you think?
2.) Can anyone recommend me similar rpg mobile games?
3.) anyone else ever encountered a freemium game that they found surprisingly engaging?
Now, I knew I was going to like it well enough, already. I'm a shameless fanboy of the fate series. Fate/zero is in my top 3 favorite anime of all time, and the series' premise of summoning famous figures from world history and mythology, with surprisingly subtle details to their designs and abilities, makes it fairly intriguing to people with a passing interest in either subject. I love both, so sign me the hell up. Me and Cu Chulainn are gonna paint the town red, bro!
The thing is, though, there are plenty of freemium app games I've bought out of sheer fanboyness in the past. Fire Emblem's app, Tales' series app, Simpsons' app... however, while they were passingly decent time wasters, I never got particularly invested in them. The skinner box design means the games intentionally designed themselves to only really be playable for a few minutes at a time, a few times a day and the developers were clearly told to work more on making them feel compulsive, rather than fun.
Fate GO isn't entirely devoid of these problems, but it has a much, much stronger focus on story than any other freemium game I've ever played, which goes a long way to help it be appealing. Likewise, it uses a turn-based combat system that is far from the most advanced or deep thing you'll ever find, but it IS at least complex enough to have a variety of strategies available, and to reward building teams with certain goals in mind. There's no pvp element, so it's not a pay-to-win, though servants who have better growth rates and stats (as well as servants who are more appealing to the whole "waifu crowd) are rarer than more generic ones... so it's a... pay-to-waifu game, I guess?
It launched yesterday night, and I've already put 8 or so hours into it... the only other mobile game I ever had this much fun with was Fallout shelter... which led me to wonder.
So, escapist community, my simulacrum of a healthy social circle who shares my interests, my encounter with the game led me to wonder 3 things:
1.) Anyone else here played FGO? If so, what did you think?
2.) Can anyone recommend me similar rpg mobile games?
3.) anyone else ever encountered a freemium game that they found surprisingly engaging?
