When life gets in the way of you and your PCs and consoles you can always get your gaming fix on your phone. There are hundreds of games to choose from and you have people like me who will just download anything. So I did and ended up with this little mobile game called Warlords of Aternum by InnoGames.
Kinda Like Everything Else But Kinda Not
In the mobile market, you are almost sure to have two things, loot crates, and premium currency. This game has both along with a hero collecting aspect. You will need to find a certain number of copies of their cards in order to unlock or upgrade them. There is also the gear which you can add to the units to make them stronger. All standard mobile practices. Maybe I am just playing so many of these I am indifferent towards at this point.
On the main map, you will have different regions that you will have to explore to unlock in order to take the land back from the hoards that have taken over. There seems to be some story here but it hasn't compelled me to a point where I am paying close attention to it. The time it takes to unlock land is also a consitrable time gate.
There is an Actual Game Here
Apart from hero collecting and loot boxes, there is an actually pretty decent game behind it. The core gameplay loop is a hex-based strategy game where you will move your units around the board to try and kill off your enemy. The boards are not flat and include different terrain types that you will need to pay attention to as they can help increase or reduce damage. It's actually a pretty entertaining mechanic.Instead of just hitting an auto button and letting your troops play the game for you, you need to carefully place them to not only take advantage of the land but pit them against unit types they are most effective against. The different units are strong against other units and this plays a vital role in how you will move your troops. While it doesn't escape from the mobile bs it rises above it with something to actually do. It's an actual game rather than just hero farming.
The controls are tight. The mechanics make sense but I did hit what felt like a time-gated paywall after a few areas. This was a turn off for me but with patience, you can get passed it. For a mobile game, Warlord isn't bad. It's a decent strategy game set on top of the standard overprice mobile garbage. I am not going to sing to the hills about this song but I wouldn't tell you to pass on it either. It might be worth a try if this is your thing.
TL;DR:
Warlords of Aternum is full of mobile game garbage but it actually presents a decent turn-based strategy on top. I enjoyed the bit of time I spent and see myself poking at it from time to time.
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