Indies' Lies Review: Unique features stands out from other same genre games
2021-10-09
Indies Lies is a new and exciting rogue-like single-player strategy game from developers FunCun Indie Game Studio. The game lets you take control of magical heroes and face them off against creatures on the battlefield.
Indies Lies provides a core gameplay mechanic with a rich and varied talent system by combining rogue-like elements with card-building. It offers random level contents, a rune system, dozens of well-designed game cards, and an impressive lieutenant system, which ultimately allows players to experience a unique difference in every new level.
The game's multiple chapters of plot content allow players to gradually but eventually unlock new character story modes that let them experience new and thrilling breakthroughs as they approach a world caught between beliefs of the old and new gods.
So in this article, we'll be reviewing Indies Lies and highlighting some of the positive aspects and the few negative aspects of this game. So without further ado, let's dive in.
THE GOOD
First off, this game takes a certain amount of inspiration from Heartstone, and in some aspects, we'd even rank it higher than Heartstone. We all know of Heartstone's incredible success ever since it launched, which might deter players from actually thinking Indies Lies can be a better game, but that's a whole different article.
Indies Lies has an interesting story
For a rogue-like game, Indies Lies does not actually offer campaign experience to players, but it does present players with a glimpse of all the playable characters' history with an unlockable story after a few victorious battles.
Completing missions helps you unlock puzzle pieces that showcase the unique character art of your chosen hero, and completing all puzzle pieces helps you unlock the character's story arc. However, you'll have to go through a new adventure with that character, where the game's rogue-like uniqueness comes in.
You'll be placed into randomly generated platforms that appear to be floating. You'll have to fight several enemies to get to the stage's final boss. These platforms let you encounter both friends and enemies along the way, and other items, you will stumble into a quirky narrative where you'll come across shady drinks at taverns and Sus non-player characters that offer you both boon and bane on your adventure.
Unique and improved combat system
Like most strategy games on mobile, the combat system in Indies Lies is turn-based, which means you can take all the time you want to figure out your next move. The combat system is interesting because it involves using three different varieties of cards: Attack, Skill, and Defence. Players will need to learn how to combine these skills in battle while also using each at a time.
The early battles are easy as you'll go up with less tough opponents, but as you level up, winning a match becomes more difficult, and it will no longer be as draining an enemy's HP in seconds. That's where your combination of Attack, Skill, and Defence cards will pay off. These three cards are merely the ones you start with, but there are dozens of unlockable cards in this game.
The rogue-like gameplay also challenges you to play better and smarter because you're going to die a couple of times, but the game is designed such that each death or failed attempt to defeat a boss gives you a chance to learn from the lost battle and change something for the next time you face the boss.
Graphics are actually very impressive
This is one of Indies Lies main positive aspects when compared to other games in its genre. The game offers gorgeous-looking visuals that are quite compelling and will make you want to play further just to unlock more locations and face new enemies.
Both for heroes and villains, the character designs are beautifully crafted, making it hard for players to pick a favorite character. The game's visual effects add up the graphics by attaching runes, making winning matches, and claiming loots quite exciting.
Indies Lies also offer good status effects, and the professional card details are laid out subtly after long-pressing on a card. Experienced players will find it easy to get past the game's tutorial and get right into the battlefield in no time, but for beginners and especially those who aren't familiar with rogue-like games, the dozens of card effects might make them find the game to be overwhelming.
Soundtrack and controls
The game's lobby music and in-battle soundtrack fit perfectly into this game as it offers a battle-like experience in every aspect of the game. As for the controls, well, your mind and thinking do most of the controlling for a turn-based game. All you have to do is think of your next move and tap the screen.
THE BAD
Forceful Ads
This is one of those games whereby at certain points, forces you to watch ads. Forceful Ads are the sort of ads that you can't normally skip or decide not to watch and just continue playing the game. While this isn't really a deterring factor in the game, it will upset players who dislike ads entirely in a game.
And while the forceful ads don't pop up often, the game gives you no option to remove ads entirely.
Players have to buy the full game
Indies Lies is a free-to-play game, but after playing the first chapter, Riverbank Reminisce, you will have to pay real money to unlock the rest of the chapters. The locked chapters contain new stories, new, new enemies, and new adventures.
There are three chapters in total, and you'll have to pay for two of them. The fee isn't that expensive compared to other games, but for players who like the game but didn't quite enjoy the first chapter and are hoping the second chapter might deliver and suddenly see that they have to buy it, well, they may decide not to. But if you enjoyed the first chapter, then it's totally worth it to pay for the remaining two.
VERDICT
Indies Lies has a compelling nature as a turn-based game with makes it an exciting game. If you're a fan of strategic turn-based games, chances are you'll spend hours just playing this game and unlocking stuff and encountering random creatures on the battlefield.
Ultimately, Indies Lies is a chilling rogue-like game that holds its own when compared to other titles of the same genre despite its lack of a full free-to-play element.
