ARTICLE
Review: 'Star Wars: Force Arena', A New Mobile Game for Star Wars Fans
By Freddy / 26 Jan 2017 (Thursday)
Image credit: Disney and Lucasfilm
There is nothing groundbreaking with this new, free ‘Star Wars: Force Arena’ mobile game. It is similar to ‘Clash Royale’. Its Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) format is hardly original. It sometimes has too many things going on at once. Yet I am hooked.
Perhaps the appeal comes down to the Star Wars packaging. As a fan, there is a certain joy in playing your favourite Star Wars characters such as Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia. You can also play characters from the Dark Side, such as Darth Vader or Director Orson Krennic. You get to deploy familiar units such as Rebel armies and Stormtroopers, and call for airstrikes by the Millenium Falcon or TIE Fighter, depending on which side you are on. The battles take place in familiar locales, including Tatooine, Hoth, the forest moon of Endor, or even Scarif.
Image credit: Disney and Lucasfilm
The gameplay would be straightforward enough for those who are accustomed to MOBA, but the short tutorial at the beginning should sufficiently guide you even if you are not. Essentially you need to destroy your opponent’s base. The one who first destroyed the opponent’s base wins. Winning would give you card packs, which would allow upgrades or unlocking new characters such as Han Solo, Jyn Erso, Grand Moff Tarkin, and over 80 other characters. Each battle lasts 2-3 minutes, which are neither too short nor too long. There variations with 2-vs-2 mode and Team-Up mode, which would allow you to pay with a friend.
Image credit: Disney and Lucasfilm
There are many other concepts that players should get familiar with, such as Rating Points, Tiers, Guilds, Missions, Achievements, and Trading. These side features give players reasons to spend more time with the game, but might become overwhelming to casual players who are used to simpler mechanics.
‘Star Wars: Force Arena’ is clearly tailored to those who are willing to invest more energy and time in their gaming experience. It is, after all, a strategy game which would require you to formulate mental plans and modify them on the spot to reach to your opponent’s actions. It can get quite hectic, which can be its own appeal for players who find most mobile games too droning.
Image credit: Disney and Lucasfilm
Another important factor I that I never felt the need to make in-game purchases. It obviously offers perks and conveniences that will help players to progress more quickly, but the game works perfectly fine without spending a cent.
Despite obvious similarities to other mobile games out there, its enjoyable gameplay and attractive Star Wars packaging should appeal to fans. Thankfully, it is not a pay-to-win game and offers enough features and variety to prevent players from getting bored of the game too quickly.
‘Star Wars: Force Arena’ is free to download for both Android and iOS devices.