Tag Archives: gotcha

I Enjoyed My Time During the Infinity Nikki Playtest. Can’t Wait for Release

I got to play in the Infinity Nikki playtest. I understand the game isn’t fully released and will be a bit more lenient yet honest with my impressions.

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What is Infinity Nikki?

Infinity Nikki is a wholesome fantasy adventure Gotcha game coming to PC, Epic Games, PlayStation, Android, and iOS devices. Make sure you Preregister today!

Nikki finds herself in a magical world where clothes grant its users magical powers. Using the powers of her outfits, she must find whimstars to unlock the power she needs to save this new world. But this journey won’t be easy. Nikki must fight the spreading corruption, solve puzzles, and gather the supplies she needs to make better outfits. Can she fulfill the prophecy written in stone long ago, or will this challenge be too much for Nikki?

Gameplay


Infinity Nikki is a 3D open-world Mario game with a crafting, gathering, and dress-up mechanic. Nikki gets her powers from different outfits players unlock as they play through the story. Based on the playtest, all essential powers can be unlocked without spending any money and with minimal grind. Upgrading Nikki’s powers will take some grinding and any additional skins will cost money.

Players have the freedom to explore the world at their own pace as they play through the story, complete side quests, and farm materials. The world is full of jumping puzzles, monsters to fight, bosses to beat, and things to discover. In the very short week I got to play the game, I felt like I still had more to discover.

The Gotcha mechanic seems to only be tied to fashion. Players can unlock additional outfits by playing the game, but the game will offer seasonal outfits players can pull from. Pulling from these tickets gets players a random item to dress up Nikki like hairstyles, makeup, accessories, and clothes. If you’re someone who wants to keep Nikki dressed in the cutest clothes, be prepared to spend a lot of money.

Impressions

Infinity Nikki was an incredibly cozy experience that I will continue to play on release. The playtest had so much to do, and the grind didn’t feel so bad. I like that the power level isn’t locked behind the gotcha mechanic, but looking cute is going to cost you. You can pull for outfits with the currency you earn for playing the game, but it doesn’t feel like it will be enough to get everything you want from a particular ticket. My issue with the Gotcha mechanic is that there is no option to recolor the items you pull from a ticket without first completing the ticket. This means that getting a particular look can potentially cost hundreds of dollars. I guess Gotcha game has to Gotcha.

Other than that, the game is really enjoyable, even if you don’t put any money into it. Crafting and gathering are soothing, the platforming and puzzles are challenging and rewarding, and the world is fun to explore. The game has very good graphics with a beautiful world, great character design, and some very cute outfits to chase. The story is very cheesy, but I enjoyed it enough to keep playing. The tone and flavor all mesh together to make a very cozy experience that I recommend you try at least once.

Preregistration is still open, so make sure you sign up to unlock some fantastic prizes. Infinity Nikki is planned to released on December 31st, 2024 but no official announcement has been made.

Pokémon Presents Announces Two New Games

In honor of Pokémon Day, the Pokémon Company has released a special Pokémon Presents where they have made a few exciting announcements. While I am sure there are some disappointed fans out there, there is a bit of news that I am very hopeful about. I’m only covering the news that I am most excited about, but you should check out the whole event for anything I skip.

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Pokemon Horizons: The Series

While I was very sad for Ash and Pikachu’s adventure to end, I am very excited for the upcoming anime. Pokémon always makes for comforting anime, and we can always use a little comfort in our lives. Pokémon Horizons: The Series premiers on Netflix on March 7, so let the countdown begin!

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

The most exciting announcement for me was the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket coming sometime this year on Android and IOS devices. Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket looks like a gotcha version of the TCG. Players can open two packs a day for free, which suggests you can buy more through either an in-game currency or real money. This does raise some flags as the game can become predatory quickly, but I am not too worried. The game comes from the folks who brought us Masters, and Masters didn’t feel bad when I played it. I don’t think it will be as generous as PTCGL, but I doubt it will be as bad as Unite

The idea of the game is to have players crack packs, and build a community around it. Players can build their collections, trade with friends and people around the world, and battle others. The idea of building a community around collecting Pokémon cards is always exciting, I just hope they don’t make it impossible to complete a set without spending hundreds of dollars. 

The quick battles are what interests me the most about this app. The game promises a more streamlined gameplay with the convenience of being able to play anywhere. While I am worried about the pay-to-win potential of PVP, anything that brings people into the hobby is fine by me. 

Pokémon isn’t the most complicated TCG, but I’ve seen people be intimidated by all its moving parts. Having a streamlined version of the game gets people excited about the game without overwhelming them. Depending on the gameplay, Pocket may be able to bring casual collectors into the space and turn them into players. 

What makes Pocket unique is that it will introduce new art and animation of cards so that players and collectors can interact with the hobby in a unique way. Pocket introduces “immersive cards” which allow players to leap into the illustration. Again, I hope they make these easy to collect, but as a casual collector, I am excited. 

I wonder if this is Pokémon answer to Heartsone? I wonder how much GOTCHA is involved? There are still a lot of questions about the game, and I’ll have to see more before I can form any impressions, but I am excited for now. 

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

The teaser for Pokémon Legends: Z-A is vague, but I know Lumiose City anywhere. It seems like the next Legends game is taking place entirely in Lumiose City. X and Y are my favorite generation. I put too many hours into the game, and I am excited to go back. All we can do is speculate until the next announcement, but I am excited! The game launches sometimes next year on the Nintendo Switch. 

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE releases October 17 with 4,500 Diamonds for players and a fresh take on the Classic U.C. Universe

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE comes out on October 17th, and it might be worth checking out if you like Gundam and don’t mind playing another Gotcha game. I’ve talked about this game in a previous post, so make sure you check that out if you want additional context. 

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE is a strategy game featuring classic characters from the U.C. universe coming to Android and IOS devices. It promises 6v6 3D strategic battles with easy-to-use auto-play features. The game will also include a voice-acted story that looks back on the classic era of Gundam, with a new story added every month. This is a great deal for new and old fans of the franchise looking for more Gundam.

If you are interested in playing the game, I recommend you start at launch to earn some fantastic bonuses. The pre-registration was a success! There were over 200k preregistrations which means users will get a UR Gundam and 4500 Diamonds at the start. For people who don’t play Gotcha games, this means you’ll get a decent character for clearing the campaign and a nice amount of in-game currency to get you started. 

The Release Celebration Campaign will also be coming after release. No dates have been announced for the event, but it is sure to allow players to earn some amazing awards. At the very least, participants will earn 5,000 diamonds, which doesn’t sound like a bad deal. 

I love Gotcha games and have been looking for a new one since they took Dragalia Lost down. I can only hope that the micro-transactions aren’t predatory and the game is fun. I’ll be posting a review once I get a bit deeper into the game, but you should try it anyway since it’s free. The game doesn’t go live until October 17, but it is already available for download on Android and IOS devices for those of you who need it. 

Mobile Suite Gundam U.C. Engage is coming to Android and IOS. Preregister today!

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Preregistration for the mobile game Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is now open for Android and IOS devices. This Gotcha game brings over 200 classic characters and mobile suits to a tactical game that might be pretty cool if you are a Gundam fan. I’ve already seen a few characters I will be chasing at launch.

The game looks like an auto battler, as most Gotcha games often are, but you have control over where your Gundam are placed on the field each round. The animation isn’t the most exciting I’ve seen in a Gundam game, but I’ll take what I can get. Most of the strategy I assume will come down to what suit and pilot you have on your team, their level, and the gear have. RNG is always most of the fun for these games, and I can only hope that the pull rates aren’t predatory and the story is good. This game promises a unique story set in the universe, and it seems to have some solid voice acting. I’ll have to try the game out first, but I have seen enough to spark some interest. 

I am still looking for a Gotcha game that will replace Dragalia Lost. This is coming to me at a time when I am super into Gundam. I have a couple of Gunpla kits I am working on and have been slowly making my way through The Witch From Mercury. Go check it out on YouTube if you already haven’t.

I’m excited to try out anything that will give me Gundam, especially if it is free. I’ve already registered and will be playing at launch. Stay tuned for my full review then. Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is scheduled for release on October 25th. 

There is currently a preregistration event going on, so make sure you sign up to earn some pretty cool perks at launch. 100,000 preregistrations will score users with a UR Gundam and 3,000 diamonds, enough to pull 10 times from the Unit Assembly.

  • 10,000 preregistrations: 100 diamonds
  • 30,000 preregistrations: 200 diamonds
  • 50,000 preregistrations: 400 diamonds
  • 80,000 preregistrations: 800 diamonds

Based on the picture and all the promotional videos, I can assume it is the RX 78-2 Gundam is the SR unit we’ll be getting.

Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage will be available on both Android and IOS devices. Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook to stay up on all the news.

My experience with Smilegate’s Gotcha game, Outerplane, hasn’t been the best

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I’ve written about Outerplane in a previous post and even voiced my excitement. I enjoy gotcha games and have been looking for a game to fill the void Dragalia Lost left behindI’ve been playing Outerplane since launch, but today I decided to uninstall it. After running out of the free energy you get for starting the game, it becomes a grind I wasn’t enjoying. 

Outerplane is an anime-themed gotcha game for Android and iOS devices. The game has a story, but it is a generic and poorly written isakai anime that doesn’t matter. I gave up on reading it pretty early on. The only real draw this game has is the art style. If you like anime and don’t mind the fan service, this game will have something worth collecting. The problem is that the grind is dull, and you will eventually come to a point where you will need to spend money to get the characters you want. There are probably guides out there to make the grind more manageable and efficient; I suggest you look into those before starting this game. The pull rates for the banners are bad, but that is to be expected for the genre. I can’t tell you how predatory the cash shop is, but there are $30 skin packs which feel steep for me. I am not shaming anyone who buys skins for games. I’ve spent a lot of money on skins over the years. If you think this game gives you a $30 value and the skin pack makes you enjoy the game more, go for it, but I don’t think Outerplanes is worth $30 in its current state.

I found the gameplay to be too simple. The voice acting and animation are fantastic until the novelty wears off, and you realize the game is rather shallow. I encountered some frame drops and stutters in the beginning and while the performance got better over time, there were still noticeable visual issues. None of the issues were game-breaking, but they are worth mentioning. I played on an iPad Pro and iPhone 12 and encountered the same issues on both. 

As far are the combat goes, Outerplane gives the illusion of strategy with its gear, facilities, combo, special attacks, and type advantage systems, but this is all just stuff you’ll need to grind for. If you grind long enough, the strategy doesn’t matter unless you’re doing hardcore endgame content, but good luck getting to that point. I will commend the game for having a nice battery-saving auto battler mode to make the grind more manageable, but it still felt like a job to get the materials I needed to move to the next piece of content. I needed to punch in daily and let my phone idle as my team completed dailies, story missions, and farmed for materials before running out of energy and waiting to do it all over again later. I am sure that spending money makes the grind a little easier, but this game wasn’t fun enough to spend money on. I don’t spend money on Gotcha games. I’m just addicted to the thrill of pulling for a digital character and the disappointment that comes after when I don’t get it. 

Outerplane is made with a specific audience in mind, but I am not included in that group. The game isn’t fun, the story is bad, and the grind is worth the time you put into it. I suggest you skip it because there are better gotcha games out there. You can download the game for Android and iOS devices, but make sure you look up guides. The key to success in any gotcha game is efficiency. 

Outerplane Now Live Globally

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I talked about Outerplane in a previous post sharing my excitement for the new turn-based gotcha game coming to us from our friends at Smilegate. The game has some great art, fantastic voice acting, and some phenomenal animations. I won’t repeat too many of my initial thoughts, so make sure you go read my original post if you’d like to know more. 

Outerplane has officially had its global launch, available now in more than 170 countries for IOS and Android devices. New players are guaranteed 80 hero pulls. Those who complete the Start Dash and Guide quest events are guaranteed a three-star hero for each event. 

To commemorate the event, the Outerplane team has released special coupons to redeem for in-game gifts. Use the codes:

PLAYOUTERPLANE1 for 500 Ether

PLAYOUTERPLANE2 for 120 Stamina + 20 Cake Slice

I am excited for this game because I am always looking for a gotcha game to fill the void Dragalia Lost left behind. This game looks very promising. I will be testing it out and be back with my first impressions once I get a bit deeper into the game. Until then, it doesn’t hurt to go start your journey now. You can download Outerplane free on the Google Play store and App Store today!

Make sure you follow the socials to stay up to date on all the news: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

Outerplane

Outerplane is a new turn-based RPG coming to IOS and Android that you should consider if you are in the market for a Gotcha game. The animation and voice acting for the announced characters are fantastic. I recommend you head over to the official YouTube page and check them all out. The art style might lean too heavily into the anime and fan service, but I didn’t think it was an issue. I like the art enough to start collecting.

I have a soft spot for Gotcha games because I love collecting things. I like that the gameplay is casual enough that I don’t have to no-life the game to enjoy the content. I can play on the go without having to take a console with me, and I appreciate the dopamine rush of rolling for a new character. Ever since Nintendo shut down Dragalia Lost, I have been unsuccessful in my search for a replacement. I can only hope that Outerplane is fun enough to fill the void Nintendo left behind.

Outerplane is going to be free-to-play, but you can pay money to gamble for new heroes. First-time players will get a free three-star hero, and another one if they get far enough in the story. The game will launch in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore on Android and IOS on April 18. Preregistration for the global release is coming in May. I’ll be trying Outerplane as soon as it becomes available, and be back with my results when I can. 

If you want to stay up to date on the news for this game, make sure you follow the socials: Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

All the images were taken from the official twitter. Make sure you go follow them!

Game Review: Avatar Generations

I just received my press pass to attend GDC! If you like what I do and want to help me out, consider buying me the coffee I’ll need to get me through the week.

I was sent Avatar Generations to review, and it isn’t good. Avatar Generations is the Avatar the Last Airbender gotcha game that you shouldn’t bother downloading. I haven’t been disappointed in the IP since the live-action movie.

This game crashed fresh off the install. The performance never got better as it stuttered through most of its content. Navigating anything in this game feels clunky and slow. When the game stopped crashing, I was finally able to play through the story, and it isn’t fun. The story goes through the same events as the series, and I’d rather be watching the series. You will be spending most of your time waiting on timers whether it is traveling over land or waiting on combat. The combat is boring, but at least there is an auto-battle feature. 

I wouldn’t mind the combat if the animation was cool. There seem to be a few frames missing, making combat look clunky and dated. I am not a fan of the art style. This game is kind of ugly. 

The main draw to a gotcha game is the collectability aspect. The unlockable characters need to look good and be desirable. I love Avatar the Last Air Bender, but there wasn’t a single character I wanted to pull for. I did use whatever gems I had to pull from the available banners and only unlocked one new character. Everything else I pulled seemed like trash. I can’t tell you how predatory the monetization is because I didn’t have it in me to play enough of this game to do more testing, but it doesn’t seem very free-to-play friendly. 

Avatar Generations lacks what makes gotcha games worth the trouble. Where most games shower you with free pulls and rare characters, this one makes you sit through ads. Where most have great art and at least some fun gameplay, this one doesn’t even feel finished. I am not expecting Generations to be this high-fidelity gaming experience with a fantastic story, but I at least expect it to be playable. If you are looking for a gotcha game based on a popular IP, Pokemon Masters does it better. Don’t download this game.  

Game Review: Tower of Fantasy

The new Gotcha MMO Tower of Fantasy has just been released and if you are thinking of trying it out, now is a good time because of how many rewards they are throwing at their players.

For those not familiar, this is a Genshin Impact clone that is trying to make its place in the genre. For the most part, I think it’s succeeding. Full disclosure, I am not an expert on the game and will be speaking about this game from a casual perspective. If you are someone looking for the best strategies to optimize your gaming experience, there are tons of YouTube channels dedicated to the subject.

Tower of Fantasy is playable on Android, IOS and PC. It is cross-platform, and I was able to play it on both PC and mobile. As far as the art goes, it is fine. It isn’t too busy, but I do prefer the dreamlike art style of Genshin Impact slightly better. There is character creation to this, but I can’t speak on how detailed it can get. I tend to randomize my appearance, but I liked my character. Not that character creation matters because you can roll for playable characters later on through the game’s Gotcha mechanic.

As far as Gotcha games go, Tower of Fantasy doesn’t feel very predatory. I got a healthy amount of in-game currency and was able to pull a couple of the chased characters. Most importantly, I found a character I love playing without spending any money on the game.

The game has a story, but it isn’t very good. You go from town to town completing chores and learning about the world’s lore. There is voice acting in this game, but it is very inconsistent. Some voice actors are great, but there are some bad recordings. I guess we can be grateful that there is voice acting, but some of the cut scenes are a chore to get through. The NPCs aren’t very memorable unless you want to play as them. I didn’t care enough about the story to care about many of the characters.

The gameplay is like any open-world MMO. There is a map you are encouraged to explore, tons of enemies to fight, and real people you can play with. Exploration is fun. You get a mount early on and other movement abilities that make traveling across the map interesting. Sometimes the movement abilities feel clunky and don’t work as intended, but the game just came so I can forgive it for now. The game encourages exploration by hiding treasures and secrets across the map that offer in-game currencies or items. 

Combat is my favorite part of this game. You carry three weapons that you must switch between to maximize your damage. You work towards combos and ultimate attacks by fighting, switching weapons, and dodging properly. I never felt like the combat got stale because there is always a different combo to pull off. You have to level up your gear to keep up with the mob levels by feeding your equipment materials you find in the world. I got a steady amount of supplies to keep up with the content by only playing casually.

I’ve played this game on PC, iPhone, and the iPad. While I much prefer the PC experience because it runs smoother and my big fingers don’t get in the way, it runs fine enough on mobile. I will say that it felt especially clunky, and I encountered the most crashes on my iPad 8.

Tower of Fate has had a solid launch. I’ve encountered a few bugs and crashes, but nothing that would ruin the experience. It honestly comes down to taste. If you like the art style, go for it. If you are on the fence, try it out, it’s free. This is a very casual friendly game, especially if you only have an hour a day to play your games.

You can find out more information on the game’s official website.

Gaming News and Review

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