By Sam Ursu
“That is a totally different card game! The Old Republic Card Game is just a variant of the traditional Earth game Blackjack, so never say that P-word ever again, especially not in this cantina that, despite being located next to a two-bit spaceport on the edge of the galaxy, has a really talented live band playing at all hours of the day and night.”
This game describes itself like those 1980’s TIGER Electronics style games, and I have to agree. Very similar in style to Missing Wings as a collection of minigames and puzzles, it does a much better job of managing expectations and explaining what to expect. And double points for both having a KOTOR reference and the author having a name that would absolutely fit in the Star Wars universe.
General Story:
There are 10 different games, and each of them have a very minor self-contained story that exists mostly as window-dressing and tutorial. The humor is well done, and if you are looking for something in bite-sized entertainment, this one works pretty well.
Format and Typos:
Game is set up like a hub-world themepark. I did not notice any typos, but the game is presented in a way to provide distraction in the form of sound-effects and emojis, so it is entirely possible I missed something.
Game Mechanics and Stats:
There aren’t really any stats to follow. Each game is self-contained, and you’ll basically be presented all of your information within the specific game itself. Games run the gamut of Pazaak, boxing, tennis, or less Revan-flavored Blackjack
Replayability:
Replayable for as long as you have fun with any specific game. If you like the randomized competition of the card games, this is essentially a text based version. It didn’t seem like you were making any choices that would change how the game ‘ends’, so this really just depends on if you find any of the offered games worth replaying.
Dislikes:
- Not really what I’m looking for in interactive fiction, but it is a testament to quality code.
- Difficult to immediately tell how to back out of any specific game.
- Unsure if I prefer the connected nature of story that Missing Wings had, or if Interactive Bonbons simplicity is to its benefit.
Likes:
- Easy to understand. Wasn’t lost at any given time.
- Humor works for a short punchy introduction to any specific event.
- Revan-flavored blackjack!