PGC London 19: S4GE is an SRPG with some interesting mobile twists
Finding the right balance between simplicity and intrigue is the key to making a great mobile game. Right now S4GE is just about hitting the mark, blending together ideas from some of the best games in the world with the inherent ease of play that touchscreen gaming can offer.
It's a game about fighting, and it's built around a foundation of SRPG ideas. There's a hex-based grid, a number of different styles of warrior, and a counter along the top of the screen that shows you which of the characters on the screen is up next to attack.
You can move around, use a simple attack, or unleash a more destructive or helpful special skill - those are on cooldowns though, so throwing them around without enough attention could leave you in a sticky situation the deeper you get into things.
Right now the game does feel a bit slow, but the dev team tells us that it's something that's being worked on. The actual combat is surprisingly deep, despite the small number of options. Understanding what your characters can do, what they're weak against, and where they're the most helpful, is super important here.
The build we play is one that definitely needs work, but that centre of the game, that balance between tough and accessible, feels like it's almost there. Even though I lose my first game (actually lose would be disingenuous - my team was annihilated completely), I want to jump in and have another go.
There aren't that many games on mobile that really manage to do strategy role playing right, and it feels like S4GE might be another one if it can iron out some of the kinks that the team behind it is already aware of. We're definitely going to be keeping an eye on this one, so keep your eyes on PG for more info when we get it.
