PC Gamer - UK 2020-04)

Forthoseunfamiliar,theshow(itself

spunoutfroma 1982cultmovie)

takesplaceina strangefantasyworld,

represented primarily through

puppetry and animatronics, where

the peaceful Gelflings are oppressed

by the parasitic Skeksis. The game

loosely retells this story, with a few

new diversions, though

in a way jumbled and

fleeting enough that

anyone who hasn’t

watched the series will

be utterly lost.

With too little

explanation for the

uninitiated, and not

enough new elements

to please fans looking for significant

additions to the canon, the

storytelling falls flat. But where the

game shines is in its action.

As you progress across the

campaign map, you put together

parties of heroes – from a stuffed

roster of characters from the show

and new additions – to fight in

turn-based battles. Thanks to clear

presentation and a generous undo

button, the strategy is pleasingly

accessible,whilestillboastingplenty

ofdepthtosustainitssurprisingly

chunky20-hourruntime.

There are hints of Into the Breach

in its mission design (calm down, just

hints), with careful positioning and

manoeuvring key to success.

Attacking from above your opponent

confers an attack

bonus, encouraging you

to fight for the high

ground. Environmental

hazards, such as pits of

snapping Gobbles,

damage anyone who

stops on top of them

• movement and
  pushing abilities allow
  you to line up foes and shove them
  into these dangers.

FIZZIGIG ECONOMY

Stages get cleverer and more

elaborate as you go, showing off a real

flair for strategy design. On coastal

islands you have to keep an eye on

the tide, which may rise to drown

hapless fighters, or lower to expose

new routes; in the dungeons of the

Skeksis, your party is at one point

dividedalongtworoutes,each having

tofindandhitleversthatopen doors

fortheother;andintheGrottan

caves,a stagechallengesyou to line

upbouldersandwhackthem into

burrowstostema tideofbeasts, like

a giantgameofGelflingsnooker.

Helpingyouadapttoeach

challengeis surprisinglyextensive

customisation for your characters. A

JRPG-esque ‘jobs’ system allows

heroes to switch class at will,

levelling up each discipline

individually. Abilities gained in one

can be used as secondary powers in

another, allowing you to create your

own hybrid classes.

For a fan of the show, there’s a

kind of toybox fun to collecting the

show’s heroes and making them

battle. But they do kind of feel like

toys, lacking the life of their on-

screen puppet counterparts. Partly

that’s down to the limitations of the

medium, but it’s also a symptom of a

clearly humble budget.

Equally, while the strategy combat

is good fun throughout, its

relationship to the source material is

variable to say the least. A fight

against the Chamberlain evokes the

show nicely, as he uses honeyed

words to confuse your heroes. But

representing Brea’s search for

knowledge as a skirmish against a

squad of librarians is awkward at

best. Enjoyable as the battles can be,

it was rare for an hour to go by

without something in the game

reminding me that this isn’t the ideal

genre for a Dark Crystal adaptation.

It’s not going to rock anyone’s

world, but for a cheap TV tie-in it’s a

lot more engaging than it has any

right to be, serving as a pleasant

opportunity for series fans to spend a

few more hours in the company of

theirfavouriteGelflings.

NEEDTOKNOW

WHATISIT?

A turn-basedstrategy

adaptationofthe

NetflixTVshow

EXPECTTOPAY

£15.50

DEVELOPER

BonusXP

PUBLISHER

En Masse

Entertainment

REVIEWED ON

Intel i5-3570K, Nvidia

GTX 970, 16GB RAM

MULTIPLAYER

No

LINK

bit.ly/2OswL9e

75

This Netflix tie-in is an

awkward adaptation, but

it still makes for a

surprisingly smart

strategy game.

VERDICT

I

love strategy games. I love The Dark Crystal. But heading into this

adaptation of the Netflix TV series, I was pretty sceptical of the

idea of squishing the two together. It’s a pleasure to report that

while Age of Resistance: Tactics never fully justifies the combo, it’s

a far richer and more substantial game than you might expect.

THE STORY SO THRA

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE TACTICS

is a pleasant surprise. By Robin Valentine

REBELALLIANCE Thepartythatsawme throughtotheendgame

NAIA

Job:StoneWarden/

Soldier

A reliable tank who

hits hard and gets

faster the more

damage she takes.

BREA

Job:SongTeller/

Scout

Dispenses buffs to

her friends and

stuns to her

enemies.

POMBO

Job:Musician/

PotionMaster

Honestly, I just keep

this guy around

because his name

makes me laugh.

RIAN

Job: Paladin/Grave

Dancer

My mobile heavy

hitter, able to leap

to wherever he’s

needed most.

DEET

Job:BrambleSage/

Mender

A magical

powerhouse,

chucking out heals

and fireballs.

REBELALLI NCE Thep

DEET NAIA

g

BREA POMBO

A JRPG-esque

‘jobs’ system

allows heroes

to switch class

at will

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics

REVIEW