Introduction
Good evening gentlefolk! Welcome to the seventh edition of iOS Gaming. If you care to read the previous edition, you may do so here. If you would prefer to start at the first, please take a look at this link.
This week, we are looking at something new to North America: Castleburn, developed by Delusion Studio. It is a real time strategy game somewhat reminiscent of Starcraft 2 and Warcraft 3, and something I personally greatly enjoy playing.
Details
Game: Castleburn: Crown League
Developer: Delusion Studio
Price: Free
In-App Purchases: Yes, sundry prices.
Device used: iPhone 6S Plus
The Review
Castleburn is a strategy game of a genre wholly different from the likes of Clash Royale, or the grindfest of Clash of Clans. No, this is a proper RTS with plenty of depth for casual and hardcore players alike. While it may not beat Starcraft 2 in terms of complexity, unit diversity, or polish, it doesn’t need to—the two games are on different platforms, and players of one will surely enjoy the other.
While there is a fair bit of depth, it likely will not be found, nor matter, for the first ten to thirty games. Part of that is due to the quality of opponents (for a while the only opponents to be found are bots), part is the lack of units, and part is simply player skill—if there is no need to develop a plan or compensate for your opponent’s actions, why bother? That said, the matchmaking will pit you against more skilled players, and so it is necessary to cultivate an understanding of unit strengths and weaknesses, how to manage your economy and force your opponent to waste resources, and a macro-level understanding of tempo.
About the same time strategy really starts to matter, or perhaps a little after, card levels kick into high gear as well. While it is quite unfortunate for card levels to play a significant role, it is entirely understandable—it provides quite the incentive for financial investment. That said, the effect is not insurmountable, because Castleburn is about strategy and the effective use of the tools available; as such, though playing against superior card levels is akin to playing against a stacked deck, effectively executing a strategy and punishing a player’s mistakes are a surer path to victory. That does not mean it will be easy—it certainly is not—but it is possible; and, done well, it is an expression of mastery.
Looking at everything hitherto, Castleburn is the mobile RTS I, personally, have been waiting for. It’s competitive, it has enough depth and complexity for helpful player content and a great deal of experience, it has a decent community, and the developers are fairly active and communicative. So, barring drastic changes, I will be sticking around. Is it, however, the game for you, the reader? Well… That is something only you can answer. It is a good game, it is enjoyable, and it is short enough to not require extended playtime. It is definitely worth picking up for a few days or a week, if only to test.
Conclusion
Thus ends this week’s edition of iOS Gaming. Thank you, all, for reading. If you care to engage in the TForce community, please take a look at the links below. Alternatively, if you’re interested in a wee bit of news pertaining to these posts and upcoming iOS games, continue reading.
Elder Scrolls: Blades launches in roughly a week! From everything I have seen so far, this game looks pretty neat. There will be a review on it in the future.
For the next edition, there are three candidates: Battleheart 2, Reigns (Reigns and Reigns: Her Majesty), or potentially Elder Scrolls: Blades, depending on how much time I have spent with it. Please let me know which you would prefer in the comments, via direct message on Reddit, or via Discord!
Relevant links:
Trinity Force Network
Castleburn
Clash Royale
Clash of Clans
Starcraft 2