Legend of Solgard

PUZZLING RPG STRATEGY.

KING, THE DEVELOPERS of that phonedominating juggernaut, Candy Crush (and its subsequent sequels and spinoffs) has decided to enter into the realm of the “mid core”, namely, those players who want something with a little more meat on its bones. Legend of Solgard is a strategy puzzler of sorts that flirts with RPG concepts to produce something rather special. On its surface, Solgard is a twist on traditional “match 3” gameplay – you pick your team of heroes and they are dropped in random fashion on the battlefield. Combining three of the same type morphs them into a stronger and larger “super” version with better abilities. MEANWHILE, YOUR AI opponent is doing the same thing, although with a few little tricks to trip up your newly learned tactics; which is often, as this game is actually pretty damn difficult. Just as quickly as you are taught new moves and counters, the game drops a doozey of a level on you and you will have to learn from your many, many mistakes. Adding to this, progression for your units is much slower than is usual in a King game, pushing you to earn every single bump on your battle abilities.

I was pleasantly surprised with Solgard, as it’s a huge departure from what King generally produce, particularly in its eagerness to make something that’s not only clever, but easy to learn and fairly difficult to master.