chronoSgear Review

By , on September 23, 2010

chronoSgear
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • RPG with a turn-based strategic three-match combat system.
  • Interesting visuals.
  • Challenging difficulty.

CONS

  • Much of the game's time is taken up by excessive grinding.
  • Wonky difficulty curve.

VERDICT

chronoSgear is a unique experience that packs a fun and challenging combat system, but it's held back by time-sinks that lack any significant purpose.


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chronoSgear by Axion Logic is perhaps the first of its breed on the App Store and I'm intrigued that something like this hasn't found its way on iDevices sooner. In this strategic RPG you'll need to make use of your three-match skills in a turn-based style of gameplay to outwit and outplay your opponents while working as a mafioso.

Outside of combat the game is your fairly typical JRPG title, allowing you to wander around environments with a touch-anywhere d-pad system, entering random bouts of combat to earn experience to upgrade your units. And you'll need to grind a lot; no I mean it - a LOT. The first 'boss' of the game is made available almost directly after finishing the tutorial and will break you in two like a girly-man, forcing you to grind-grind-grind till you can make any headway in the 15 hour or so story.

What bothers me so much about this lack of balance is that the battle gameplay itself is actually incredibly fun, with players needing to consider defense and offense carefully while relying a little on luck to counter your opponents pushes. Had the challenge been balanced better you'd have an immensely addictive title on your hands.

If you're not afraid of excessive time-sinks, chronoSgear will reward you with a fun and complex combat system that's great fun to master, but for more casual gamers it's worth holding off until patches sort out this imbalance.

Screenshots

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