Another game I got a chance to play this year at PAX Prime was Armello. While you can read much more thorough impressions of the game in our previously published article, I had a couple of things to say about the game. First off, I give a lot of credit to Australian developer League of Geeks for taking a risk with this game. As well made and fun as Armello is, it’s really hard to grasp the primary mechanics from a half hour of play on the convention floor. It’s one of those delightfully complex games you’re meant to spend hours and hours playing as you get better and further comprehend the inherent intricacies.
With that out of the way, let me discuss what I liked about the game. Firstly, I loved the Disney cartoony style of the animal inhabitants of the game. They are presented in a lush, almost cel shaded style that really draws the player into the world. This also translates pretty well to the world map. Speaking of which, I found it beautiful, especially all the little touches, such as how the sun and moon are visually similar to a lion and rabbit. Another nicety is how, whenever you see a card come up, the artist who drew it is mentioned. Finally, I loved the overall aura of the game, especially since it is pretty unique.
That said, some of the things I mentioned earlier did somewhat hamper my experience. Though I don’t mind complexity, I found the many many systems in the game a bit of a challenge to master. This isn’t really the fault of the game, as the prologue I played dealt with different aspects of the game in waves. It was more because I couldn’t spend more than a half hour familiarizing myself with it. That said, I think Armello will be worth the investment when it launches next week. If you are interested in this board game world, it will be available on Steam and PS4 for $19.99. For those on the fence, check back with us when we post our final impressions of Armello in our official review.
