For The King! - The Bear and Badger

Blocks100

Well doesn't this look absolutely delightful!

It's been likened to a Jap RPG turn-based combat title with western rogue elements. No wait, comeback!

Travel over the world map is via a large 3D hex grid with combat then zoomed in on the wonderfully rendered Mii like characters and mobs.

There's something about the aesthetic that has me enthralled. Which even overcomes my fear of tales of it a being a rock hard rogue-like where death is around every...er...hex.

Out now on Steam. PS4/Xbox early 2019. Not Switch though. It's USP is that it's a rogue you can play with friends in online co-op. Although thankfully it can also be played solo.

Anyone had a bash on this yet on PC?

Wookienopants

Blocks100 wrote:

Not Switch though.

Im out then

Blue Swirl

Blocks100 wrote:

It's USP is that it's a rogue you can play with friends in online co-op.

I don't have any friends.

AJ

Nor do I but, if I did, none of them would play online co-op.

Blocks100

Me neither! Hence rejoicing over the SOLO play.
GameCentral seemed to like it also:

http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/23/for-the-king-review-tabletop-gaming-without-the-table-7488801/

Consoles should get the polished version with a later release, as apparently it's still a bit buggy.

I do like the idea of it all going a bit Xcom if you don't keep on top of rising global threat levels....

After the letdown of Darkest Dungeon and it's opaque systems, this could be the rogue-like I've been looking for.

Blocks100

And a year later....here's the console release (with all expansions)

An updated Switch review from GameCentral

Will be dusting off my handheld for this, deffo.

LivDiv

This is up in game pass btw.

FranticPea

Aye I'm all over this.

regmcfly

I call my cat the king and I thought this thread was about my cat

Blocks100

So this is actually pretty good. Had a few hours with it last night and it has some nice features. Travelling across the hex map will reveal points of interest, a sword lodged in stone, an abandoned temple or ruin. Do you explore the area or leave without risking possible peril? Each of these encounters plays out like a 'NOW TO TURN TO PAGE 24' Choose Your Own Adventure! tale. It's a nice touch.

Combat plays out more like a mini-war of attrition, not much strategy. Although that might change once I uncover more buff items and cool loot. I've fought off drunken pirates and their deranged parrots. Along with the staple skellies, jellies and beastmen in wellies.

The fight against Chaos has you trying to mop up quests before the turns run out. Dawdle too long and Chaos rises, increasing the number of enemies on the map and their HP's. No random battles though, every enemy stack is visible on the map and you can sneak through their hex with a successful dice roll.

Even with no touch screen controls on Switch, I can see this one sinking it's teeth into me for some time.

ayns

Got the Switch version.

I like.

[Deleted User]

I started playing the other night. I had to stop, take a moment to read some of the help screens, and then jump back into it. I’m still a little lost, tbh, but Gwyneth, Hannah and Susan are an intrepid trio.

Paul the sparky

Yeah, I didn't have a clue what was going on with a lot of stuff last night, and connection problems didn't help, but there's something about it. We ended up getting ganked in a dungeon which we were under levelled for before the servers crippled us.

Looking forward to more of it next week.

Blocks100

Had thought this was getting a tad too easy, but then the spawn rate of mobs on the hex map seemed to sky rocket and my little fellows got cut off from each other. Thank god my girl with the bow has a high ambush chance, allowing me to get the drop on the mobs that had materialised.

My party now seem to break their weapons and gear at an alarming rate. Is there a durability stat attached to gear or is it that some enemies have a special attack that busts yer kit?

[Deleted User]

Some weapons are breakable. One of the icons above, belong, or alongside one of the things on screen lets you know. I can’t say it with confidence because I thought I was looking in the right place, then my magic glass lute, which caused enemies to explode when I strummed it, shattered in my hands as I tried to smack down a dungeon witch thing.

FranticPea

Yeh I'm keen to... delve deeper into it. Was fun in 3 player co-op, and I'm sure as you spec your group together to bounce off one another it'll get even better.

Kernowgaz

Is this cross play? It would be perfect on Switch

Blocks100

Er...has Switch ever supported cross platform play? I think not.

About to attempt a Level 5 dungeon with my party. That are all at level 4. Predicting a complete wipe of my Blacksmith, Hunter & Scholar. Mind you, I've named them Gendry, Arya, and Samuel respectively, so as George R R Martin currently seems reluctant to kill 'em off, I'll be doing my best to rectify that tonight.

Paul the sparky

Rocket League, Fortnite and Minecraft all do cross play stuff. Probably more.

Blocks100

Ah, I stand corrected.

[Deleted User]

I’m playing it on Switch and it is, indeed, a great match. No idea about cross-play, I’ve just been playing offline.

Is the online-stuff just for multiplayer, or is there something more to it?

[Deleted User]

Apparently there were more posts. Apple obviously take a relaxed approach to refreshing the screen when you refresh the screen.

Blocks100

And that's a wipe. But lasted longer than predicted. Got my party to level 8 before the end came. Just Ayra alone versus a skeleton wizard, but this time, her luck runs out. Unlike other Rogues though, I'm actually looking forward to starting over. Unlocked a new class with the Lore system and bunch of new gear, so eager to give them a whirl.

When chaos rises to its ultimate level and the world goes to shit, you really feel that the end is nigh. Having fallen heroes tumble off the world map into oblivion is a really nice touch. I just wish I could tell what was going on a bit more with the chaos-o-meter, purple bars at the top of the screen lead to the skulls filling up? Any insights?

Paul the sparky

I'd like to try this again but the two times I've been on it so far I've wasted my time. Wake me up when it works.

Blocks100

Solo play is working fine for me so far, only 1 crash to date, but it autosaves at end of every turn anyway.

[Deleted User]

I haven’t had any issues, but I too have only played solo.

Blocks100

Got to the Evil Wizard tower again. Died again. Still haven't faced the Big Bad at the top. Had picked up some excellent loot this time around but had also lost some lives earlier on which was to cost me dear in the final battles. Frustrating, but I still wanna go again.

If you like turn-based stuff, there really isn't a better game on Switch at the moment.

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