So for me growing up Pokémon and other JRPGs were the closest that I’d come to playing any RTS games. For the most part, those games were always on the PC, and our household PC was used for homework and using that slow AOL internet to surf the web. That’s probably a big part of why I’ve never been a big PC gamer. That said a few years ago I got into a game called Civilization 5. This game was my first RTS love and I was head over heels. Very quickly I found myself putting all my free time into that game. Fast forward to today, I still play RTS games and the latest game that has its hooks in me is Mahokensi. So is this a good RTS experience or just another entry into the genre? This Mahokensi review will answer that question.
Let’s dive into it.
Mahokensi was released on January 24th, 2023. It is available right now for PC, but it’s coming soon to all consoles. I was provided a review code.
Narrative:
Mahokenshi is a deck-building turn-based RTS. The game plays almost like a DnD board game come to life. You control a Mahokensi, a warrior who fights for peace, and you move them around the board while you use your action cards to dictate your moves.
The game has a story that is told through slideshow vignettes. The Narrative isn’t that engaging to be honest. It simply boils down to four enhanced good guys trying to stop the demons and evil sorcerers.
If you are looking for an engaging plot then this one will disappoint in that regard, but that isn’t the appeal for this game.
The Gameplay:
The gameplay is just as addicting as Civilization. The card aspect will throw some people off, but when you get it you are going to be hooked.
The cards you have grant you different attacks, defense buffs, and ones to increase your range of movement. You start each level with a batch of cards and earn more by exploring or buying them in the level’s marketplace.
Each level that you play has an overall objective like killing a specific enemy, defending certain points, or taking out enemies before a turn limit expires. The variety of mission types mixes things nicely and keeps the game fresh. You can also replay the levels as many times as you want to try out new strategies, attempt the levels mini challenges, or to farm exp.
The Characters and Features:
An aspect that I really enjoy about Mahokenshi is the characters that you can select. The four characters each have their own moves and specialties. Sota for example, plays more like a ninja using poison attacks and stealth to defeat enemies. Ayaka uses an aggressive attack style and her card reflects that. You can also level up these characters to gain new cards to add to your arsenal.
The maps are creative and well designed with lots of different environments and landscaping to use to your advantage. You navigate through hills, mountains, and plains which have an impact on your movements. The maps of each level are also varied enough that it doesn’t feel repetitive. You have to come up with a new strategy for every map and its overall objective.
Cons/Flaws:
As I said earlier, the narrative isn’t engaging. It’s a story that had potential, especially with the game’s cool artsyle and gameplay, but it feels like it was an afterthought. You can skip the cutscenes so it’s not a big deal.
Also, the game has a sharp difficulty spike towards the middle levels. It’s not the biggest deal in the world because the gameplay is addicting, but it might turn some gamers off the game.
Overall/Should You play Mahokensi:
It really depends on who you are as a gamer. As a fan of RTS games, I found myself engrossed in the cards and gameplay. The constant stream of new cards and mission objectives keeps me coming back for more.
Unfortunately, the story is a miss, and the gameplay probably won’t be enough to draw in gamers outside of the genre. All that said Mahokensi has more going for it than against it and is a game that RTS fans should check out.
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Other Similar games that you should Check out:
Kainga: Seeds of Civilization Review: https://pronerdreport.com/game-reviews/kainga-seeds-of-civilization-review/
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