Archive for March, 2007

Direct Link : Napoleonix
Publisher : Inscenic

Price : $12.95

Graphics : 7 Out of 10
Sound : 6 out of 10
Gameplay : 9 Out of 10
Longevity : 8 Out of 10
Overall : 7.5 Out of 10

Having been a great fan of Inscenic’s previous games, I was excited to get my hands on Napoleonix, which is apparently based on a board game called Stratego, a game I’ve certainly heard of, but never actually played. The game is based on grid, with each side having playing pieces of varying strengths. The lower a playing pieces value, the stronger it is, so for instance an attacking piece with a value of [4] would vanquish a piece of higher value. If you attack a piece of equal value, they are both removed from the playing field. The ultimate goal of the game is to capture your opponents flag.

Napoleonix is a turn based game, which has many of the hallmarks of chess, requiring you to really plan many moves ahead. Upon starting a game you must choose whether you want to play as Napolean Bonaparte or Mikhail Kutuzov. You also have to choose on which map you want to play, either Waterloo, which is played on a 10×10 grid and uses standard Stratego rules, or Borodino, which is played on a 15×10 grid, which has a fake flag and a brave. For each map you can also select a combination of the following options :

• Bring Flag
• Slow Scouts
• Strong Spies

There are also 3 difficulty levels, Easy, Medium and Hard. Easy is where I started and managed to win 1 of my many early attempts. Playing pieces have different properties depending on their value. Most units can move 1 space vertically or horizontally. Scouts, with a value of [9] can move the entire length or width of the playing area, as long as the destination cell isn’t blocked. This option can also be disabled by selected the Slow Scout option before beginning a game. Once a piece has moved it can not go back to it’s former position on the next turn, unless it has just made an attack.

Spies [S] can defeat the most power Marshal [1] units. When the Strong Spy option is selected, Marshal cannot defeat spy even if he attacks first. Spies however are vulnerable to attack from every other unit. Brave[*] can defeat any unit, but vanishes with the enemy. Any unit can defeat a Brave, if it attacks first. Mines are stationary, but if a player lands on them they are removed from the playing area. Sappers [8] can disarm mines and remain in play. These can become vital in later gameplay, as all too often your opponent has shrouded his flag in mines, making it difficult for you to get to it.

Initially all enemy units are hidden, however once a unit is under attack or initiates an attack it reveals itself. Depending on the map, there are either 1 or two flags (a real one and a fake one) for each side. If the Bring flag option is selected, it needs to be moved to your first line, to determine if it’s real or fake. There are also squares that act as immovable squares, forcing you to wend your way round them.

Whilst playing the game you can select 1 of two views. The game piece view has some great graphics, showing each piece in all it’s majesty, but it’s just too confusing to play for very long. The other view is the more traditional grid view, showing each piece as it’s numeric value. This may not be the most inspiring of views, but it really allows you to concentrate on the task at hand.

Before each game commences, you are given the opportunity to place [disposition] all of your pieces on the grid, something akin to setting up for a game of battleships. Alternately you can just opt to play using the games previously randomly generated positions.

I originally received the game at the beginning of February. By the end of February, there was a sizable update, which added a new campaign mode, vastly adding to the games longevity. Also added were 8 ranks and 21 medals for you to earn. The game also now boasts sound effects and in game music, which was previously missing. The music is nice and ambient, not causing a distraction at all. There are also numerous tweaks and speedups.

Conclusion : A relatively simple game to gets the grasp of, but one that really develops as you become accustomed to the rules and begin to really think through your strategies. The graphics are crisp and clean, but as mentioned earlier, I much preferred the very simple view. With the added campaign mode, $12.95 starts to look like a real bargain. Another great addition to the Inscenic product line.