Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Presentation: The game has a console quality setup with its menus and character creator. It looks like something Bethesda created, and that's a good thing. The menus will take some getting used to, but soon you will know where everything is. One issue I have is that your inventory is not broken up enough. The only categories are weapons, armor, and the "everything else" section named other. The other category becomes a little overwhelming, as your magic, food, potions, skins/items looted from enemies, etc. are all mashed into one area. It's not too bad, but after 6 or 7 hours with the game you will wish they added a potion and rune(magic) category to your inventory. The cut scenes are voice acted, but most of the characters you interact with only have one line of recorded dialogue and then all text. This is probably how Crescent Moon was able to keep the game to 551mb when Gameloft titles are coming in around 2gigs. For what it's worth, I was able to download and start playing Shadolwands in less than 10 minutes. The story is pretty traditional. You miraculously survived a war, and are told by the Archmage that you have descended from kings and it is your destiny to retrieve the Ravensword to seal away the dark demons trying to come from the Shadowlands. It's serviceable and kicks off your quest quickly. Quests are given by NPCs, so while there is the main mission always there, side missions like winning an archery tournament or collecting missing iron ingots for a black smith are plentiful, though not so much so that you fell lost amongst too many quests. Graphics: There is no doubt the game is visually impressive. This is one of the first times I can recall actually stopping to marvel at some of the landscapes in a mobile game. From large open wastelands, to tree-laden mountain terraces with waterfalls, the game is large and immersive. It is Tegra 3 optimized and it shows. The draw distance is unparalleled for a mobile game, and real time shadows add an extra level of graphics on my Nexus 7 that are not there on the Galaxy S3. The S3 has more noticeable pop-in and texture issues in large open areas where it looks like shadows are flipping out all over the mountains in the distance. You will see clipping from time to time, and when you're inside if you turn against a wall very closely you may see through the wall for a second to a "sky." It's minimal and has no real effect on the game. Your character is detailed and the armor you equip alters your look immediately. The enemies look good, especially up close. All in all, the graphics are a delight and add to the sense of scope the game presents, especially when you come across a rundown ruin on a hill and you feel like you've seen it before...in Oblivion. Gameplay: Touch screen controls are always a point of contention, but for Ravensword they work well. Your attack button also functions as a block button, so hold to block with your shield and tap to swing your sword/axe/mace or shoot your bow. You may think this would cause issues with accidentally blocking when you meant to attack but this isn't the case. There is a slight issue with how often/quickly your character sheathes his weapon, as two seconds after one kill he sheathes it only to force you into a "pulling out your weapon" animation that may get you hit before you can block or attack the next enemy. You also have runes you can equip that allow you to cast magic like fire to burn enemies, ice that will freeze them in place and even a wind spell that lets you manipulate objects telepathically to solve puzzles. You can jump and roll dodge with the jump button. All the action buttons can be moved around manually to fit your comfort, but the quick slot panel (4 slots to assign things like different spells, potions, or mounts) cannot be moved, and neither can the mini map button, which is tough considering both are in the dead center of the screen. Not an issue on a phone, but definitely so on a 10" tablet. The game scales your stats as you use them, so you will get better with Blade by using swords, Blunt with maces, and so on. I have spent a considerable amount of time trying different builds, and can say that playing as a stealthy ranger is much different than playing as a pure melee or melee/magic builds. Food plays a part in the game as well, and it's important to know you need to carry food on you at all times. The game never really explains this, but you will get "hungry" which reduces your energy (magic and stamina combined) and health regeneration by half, then by 90% if you haven't eaten and move to "starving." Because you can't choose to eat, it's arbitrary and simply put just carry food on you by either buying it from any of the general stores/inns, or killing and looting enemies that reward food like boars or dino cows. There are a variety of enemies to take down, from large and imposing to small and quick, and they will often assault you on sight and attack in groups. Crowd control becomes important, as a group of goblins will gang up on you quickly, so stealth builds need to sit back and try to quietly pick them off from afar, where melee/magic builds will need to plan their blocks accordingly and use fire magic to attack multiple enemies at once. Also, the game functions well in first or 3rd person, something that cannot be said for Crescent Moon's previous release, Aralon, as it was unplayable in first person. One thing that may stump some casual gamers is the lack of hand holding, as Shadowlands doesn't go far out of its way to let you know EXACTLY where you need to go next. I consider this a welcome change of pace from the "arrow above your head pointing you directly to your next objective" direction most games these days give you. Bottom Line: The bottom line is that for the price of a value meal at Burger King, you're getting a game that brings you close to a console experience in your pocket. Take that for it's worth as that statement is subjective, but my time with Ravensword: Shadowlands has been impressive and well worth the $7 entry fee. Games like this need to be supported to ensure developers see value in the resources they spend crafting their product. Guess I'm not eating Burger King today... On the upside: 1. Graphically Stunning for a mobile game of this size 2. Lots of customization 3. Lengthy campaign (8-10 hrs) with plenty of reasons for replay Downs: 1. Some graphical issues due to Crescent Moon's own ambition 2. Not a ton going on in the open world as NPCs aren't very abundant or active Final Score: 8.5/10 EDIT: I decided to add 5 tips for everyone getting started: 1. Adventure! take the time to walk every inch of the beautiful environments, it's the only way to find chests and secrets you may miss if you're simply plowing through the main story. Talk to NPCs for extra quests and enter every building you can! 2. Don't be afraid to grind a little. The enemies respawn when you fast travel, so if your current objective is blocked by enemies that are too powerful, warp somewhere else and do some fighting to level up, increase your skills, and add boosts to your talents. Luckily, grinding is very minimal and actually fun since the combat is engaging. 3. Use your fire spell. Magic is not required to win in combat (though it is for a couple puzzles), but the fire spell, even if weak and you barely use it, is good for crowd control as it slows enemies as they move toward you. 4. If you're low on cash, just fast travel to the Goblin Ruins, kill the goblins, pick up all their shields, and sell them at the store. In no time you will have the cash you need. Some people have complained that they included in-app purchases (you can buy gold and potions etc. with real money), but they are not required in the least, and are really only for lazier players or players who have no real time to play the game. 5. If you are stuck or unsure where to go next, feel free to leave a comment and I can help you out, or use google/youtube, BUT only after doing what I said in #1! It's a large game, so if you only really play left-to-right games, be patient, explore every option, and if all else fails, get yourself some help! I can't wait to see what the sequel to Aralon is like!