Upcoming Games

This week’s poll is all about anticipation and I just wanted to share my thoughts on which games I am, in particular, looking forward to.

Dungeonquest

When I first heard that FFG were revamping this I didn’t really think I needed it. After all I own the original and the characters expansion, in fact it was the very second Unboxed review I did. However the components look so nice and the combat system seems so much better that this new edition really has me captivated.

Interestingly I don’t think I’ve play DQ in over a year. The level of competition in my family is just too high for a game of chance. They fight and fall out at Settlers and even Carcassonne and Dungeonquest just leads to a whole tirade of “Well I could have won if I had everything handed to me on a plate too!” etc…

Will the new edition of the game change that in any way? No. So why do I want it? Because it’s pretty, I know, that’s a bad reason to buy a game but it’s true. I love the idea of being able to port the characters over to Runebound which also still hits the table now and again. I love the look of thing and I want it to replace my old copy.

Despite all the excitement around this release I doubt that DQ will receive a warm welcome from most people. The fact that it is almost entirely pure chance, like Talisman, will cause serious gamers to look elsewhere, while the fantasy theme will cause others to turn their noses up too. But for me there is a nostalgic feeling in my bones, the game is calling to me and I must have it!

Bloodbowl Team Manager

Bloodbowl is a game I own but have never really played. It is a superb concept. I love the idea of the crowd getting involved, of bribing the ref or hobbling other players before the match. But at the end of the day the game feels too clunky to represent the mayhem it is supposed to.

So when Fantasy Flight announced this new game I was excited because this may just be the game that brings Bloodbowl to life for me. The game is a deckbuilding game, presumably like Dominion, which despite the hype still looks uninteresting to me. In fact I have had more interest in it’s clones, including Thunderstone and Arctic Scavengers, but so far I have not actually bought into this style of game.

However, I like the theme and that would probably be enough to convince me to buy it. But, what has really swung me has been the designers. Eric M. Lang, designer of Warhammer Invasion, my favourite game from last year and certainly the best experience of Warhammer I’ve had in a long time. But, add to that, Corey Konieczka, designer of Battlestar Galactica and Runewars and I’m sold.

This is one game I will be downloading the rulebook for the day it goes up because I just have to know if it will emulate that feeling I’ve always wanted from Bloodbowl.

Lord of the Rings LCG

This is the one that I’m dubious of. I want to love it. I love the LCG’s I’ve tried and I love the LOTR’s franchise, but I just don’t get how a cooperative game fits into the LCG format. I’m certainly hoping, that, like their other LCG’s, FFG provide us with Deluxe Expansions because that seems to be the best way to expand these systems if you only want to play them casually.

But there are many things about the game that has me umming and ahhing. Firstly as a co-op experience you must play against the game in preset quests, this makes me think that replayability will be a problem without having to buy “Quest Packs” or whatever.

My second hesitation is that the things I’ve read about the game seem to suggest that Deck Building will be an important part of the game. That’s fine if you play with dedicated players, but what about casual players who just want to pull this out and play it straight out of the box?

But… the thing is, this is a game by Fantasy Flight and the number of times I’ve read page after page of worries and fears at the announcement of a new game has taught me one thing… If you can foresee a problem with the design, the designers saw it too. Replayability will not be a problem, preset decks will be included for casual play, the fact the game is co-op will be an advantage and not a pitfall.

So, while I remain dubious, I also remain hopeful because this is looking like a stunning game. That’s about it for this week, why not vote in the poll or comment in the poll section and let me know what you are most excited or hesitant about. Hopefully I’ll get another review up next week, but if not do not despair, it just means my computer issues have lasted longer than anticipated.

Until then, keep on gaming!