A World of Keflings
Score: 92% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: NinjaBee Developer: NinjaBee Media: Download/1 Players: 1 - 4 (Local/Online) Genre: Simulation/ God Games
Graphics & Sound: A few days ago, a follower on Twitter asked me to name my favorite developer. Unexpectedly, the first name to jump into my head was NinjaBee. Now, I like to think through things (perhaps too much, or at least I've been told), but I've learned that gut feelings happen for a reason. After some research, I realized I've enjoyed every game NinjaBee has released. They're fun, smart and tend to suck away hours of my time. A World of Keflings is no different. A sequel to Kingdom for Keflings, World of Keflings sticks to the same formula that made the original a relaxing blast to play, but tosses in two new kingdoms, local multiplayer and a host of other refinements. A World of Keflings sticks with the same presentation as the original, but with a bit of added flair. The two new kingdoms have their own unique look, but it still manage to work as an organic whole. The big draw is bringing your XBL Avatar into the game as your character. It's a fun addition, especially if you've spent any MS Space Bucks on Avatar gear. My Avatar looks normal (at least compared to my friends), but popping my Avatar's Woods (Black Ops) gear yielded unexpected laughs. Don't think I didn't give the Darth Vader gear a hard look. It's hard to not find yourself bouncing up and down to the rhythm as you direct your workers and work you way to your next goal. It's a great example of what game soundtracks should be; music fits the mood of the game rather than the setting. It's a bit odd to hear an acoustic guitar in a winter setting, but there's no denying it doesn't work.
Gameplay: I rarely spend hours plugged into a game. Usually I'll play for an hour or so and decide to do something else. A World of Kelfings isn't one of those games. Gameplay plays out as follows. You're asked to build a certain building, requiring you to assign your limited number of Kefling workers to either collecting resources or carrying raw materials to refineries. Once you have enough resources, you buy parts from different shops, piece them together and collect your reward - usually blueprints for the next structure on your list. Without actually playing it, A World of Kelfings sounds like a complete bore. It's "Civilization: Grade 1." Yet, when you actually start playing, it manages to grab hold and keep you locked in for the long haul. With A World of Kelfings, NinjaBee has managed to hit on the same carrot on a stick gameplay found in Facebook's "-Ville" games, only without the need to wait for more energy or pester friends for tools or other widgets. You're given a simple request, fulfill it, and instantly feel compelled to complete "just one more goal." The co-op experience - both online and off - adds to the fun. Multiplayer follows the same pattern as single player, but adds more players to the mix. Playing with three other players cuts down on playtime, but is still fun. I compare it to playing with LEGOs with friends as a kid. Everyone had their own project to work on, but still took time to help others find certain pieces. It's strictly a non-competitive endeavor and still a blast with friends. Other welcome additions are the "Push" ability, potions and the help of the Builder Brothers. Moving buildings was a pain in the original, requiring you to break the building and rebuild it at another spot. Once you acquire the witch's potion, you can push buildings around the map. It's still a slow process, but a better alternative to the original method. The witch will also provide you with other potions allowing for basic character customization. Some increase the amount of stuff you can carry, while others increase your speed. There's no way to collect them all, so you'll have to decide which abilities fit your plan best. The Builder Brothers are helpful, if only for the amount of speed they add to gameplay. The Brothers can carry building pieces, cutting down on the number of return trips you need to make between the construction site and shops. They can also build structures for you provided they've already built one and the blueprint is queued up. The only downside is the Brothers aren't bright. Once they put a piece down, they won't pick it up again and they're easily confused. At least they provide some comic relief.
Difficulty: There's no way to "lose" A World of Keflings. You can certainly waste time, but even with the worst planning, there's no way to run out of resources or bring about the Kefling apocalypse. NinjaBee has done a great job of giving you just enough to move forward, but not enough that hitting your next goal is a cake walk. Though it might seem like a simple version of Civilization, there's a surprising amount of strategy required to reach each goal without losing patience. You're always guaranteed to reach your goal, though you'll dictate how smooth a ride you'll have. Like A Kingdom for Keflings, A World of Keflings is all about strategy. Veterans will have the edge here. I spent hours refining my assembly lines in Kingdom, so I knew exactly how to pace myself with World. The trick is knowing what resources you'll need the most of and making sure a bulk of your crew is going for that resource. It's not the fastest way to reach your next objective, especially in the beginning when you're working with a skeleton crew, but if you do it right, you'll cut out a lot of dead time between builds.
Game Mechanics: Your supply of kefling workers is regulated by hearts. There's a deliberate ebb and flow to when you're awarded hearts. You'll discover one or two in the wilderness, but most require completing side goals. Though by no means a pain to complete, some goals will throw your strategy off, that is if you're not ready for them. The first kingdom introduces a few resources, offering a false impression of gameplay. By the time you reach the second kingdom, a load of new resources are dumped on you. Suddenly, rocks and wood aren't enough; you need stone and lumber, requiring a new approach to unit management. Eventually, you'll need to collect wool, gems and a number of other resources to keep your kingdom growing. Oh, you'll need to find other objects as well. Some buildings, like universities, require special objects like books or flux capacitors (no, that isn't a joke). Additionally, you'll have to pull some of your keflings off the assembly line to run shops. Between venturing out to find special items and re-appropriating workers, the game is always conspiring against your goal of finding an efficient workflow. At its heart, A World of Keflings is all about momentum and planning. You need to constantly check on all the little pieces in order to keep the bigger pieces running. Provided you have the blueprints, you can check a few moves ahead. This is key, as an effective manager is going to anticipate what's coming up rather than react. Otherwise, A World of Keflings will completely overwhelm you. It also helps to space your kingdoms. It's tempting to pack everything into some spot to cut down on travel time, though when you have twenty or so keflings scurrying around at your feet, it's hard to pinpoint just one target. You can cycle through everything in an area with (B), but it takes too long. I want more games like A World of Keflings. I loved the simple complexity and the feeling that I was always moving forward. It's the sort of game you don't see made that often, which is refreshing. Give the demo a try, but don't be surprised if it snags you.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: Game Vortex's Review of A Kingdom for Keflings on Xbox 360 A World of Keflings on Xbox.com (Demo/ Purchase)
Unlikely Suspects Artillery Brigade