Xbox 360
Collectible card games, around since the early twentieth century, but modernised by mathematics professor Richard Garfield (creator of Magic the Gathering) so that they actually involved some strategy, belong so firmly in the realm of geekdom that it's difficult to find anyone to criticise them. Anybody who doesn't enthuse over a game involving playing cards with characters of varying strengths and weaknesses, spells, potions, magical powers (or various fantastical equivalents) battling to the death will likely find the concept so bemusing that comment is unnecessary.
For the converted, things are vastly different. In the world of CCG players, criticism of perceived weakness in the (oft-complex) layout of such a game is vast and varied. For the uninitiated (and I was that until recently...tonight actually), there are legions of these players (many of them fanatics), growing exponentially due to online gaming and the fact that these adventures play out much better on a computer platform. Here the machine does all the number crunching, leaving the player to focus primarily on the strategy. Often, the more insanely convoluted, the better.
Preamble over, it would be really remiss of me if this particular review didn't concern such a game. Orion has proven one of the more popular examples on other platforms, and in a nutshell, has ported to the iPhone/iPod Touch remarkably well. Extra intrigue comes in the fact is also masquerades as a turn-based strategy game, designed to allow the player to develop resources for use in combat.
First (she laughs, 4th paragraph in), the gameplay. Your objective is to gain control of an archipelago of islands which exist somewhere in the ether. Choosing a side (in this case, Ice, Fire, Earth, Single Malt etc) you're given an airship (yes, I've always wanted one too) to travel around from fishing port to sun-kissed paradise and conquer their asses (if you don't fall on yours). Utilise each island to build mines necessary for financing the expedition and build specialist factories for producing the creatures and spells utilised in the war effort. Landing on an island unannounced does not best please passport control, sorry, the ‘governors' of each island, who won't let you lay roots without a little slap and tickle on first acquaintance.
Now, some bugbears. The introductory instructions and subsequent interactive tutorial give no warning as to how complex the game actually is. They're laughably basic in fact. This is a frustration at first as there's no quick fix (save to start on easy level, but then you won't know why you're winning...you just will...maybe). Also, it crashes a lot, so constant saving is a must. Let's hope iTunes updates to sort this out will be frequently forthcoming.
So I mentioned the complexity. A turn-off at first, but once over the trial and error process, the player realises that wits must be kept close at hand and future planning is a must. It's quite easy to spend hours just gathering momentum but the real satisfaction comes in laying suitable foundations, and then dipping in and out for your quick fix of bloodlust whenever you fancy it. Knowing when and where to execute spells, or which creatures to deploy at any given moment are essential in coming to grips with the game, and with a huge range of each of these, the possible permutations are almost limitless.