Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Rimelands: Hammer of Thor
Developer: Kyy Games
Publisher: QubicGames
Genre: Adventure, RPG
Price: $9.99
Also Available On: iOS
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor is a faithful recreation of a nine-year-old role-playing game that first saw light on the iOS platform. Kyy Games does an outstanding job porting it over to the Nintendo Switch, and the hybrid console, as has been the case for most independent releases originally conceived for mobile devices, exhibits the updated version with aplomb. It’s certainly the definitive iteration, presenting enhanced, if dated three-dimensional visuals along with a superb sound mix — more than justifying the $9.99 price tag, double that of its original format.
As could be expected from Rimelands: Hammer of Thor’s mobile origins, the narrative — which has the principal protagonist stopping quarters bent on breaking an uneasy truce between two races sharing the world’s surface — is light on the exposition. Gamers take on the role of youthful Rose Cristo, armed with a passion for adventure. She willingly explores vaults/dungeons at the behest of her grandmother who raised her following the death of her parents, but soon finds her aim to uncover the truth behind her heritage meshing with the need to avert war.
Likewise, Rimelands: Hammer of Thor puts forth simple gameplay mechanics. It employs a turn-based combat system reliant on dice rolls to direct movement and determine success or failure of attacks and blocks. That said, a good degree of customization is on offer; skill sets and abilities are developed based on the chosen character type, while equipment and crafting components can be collected from exploration ventures. Proper management of battle gear can be especially useful in claiming additional dice to roll more skulls (for offense) and shields (for defense).
All told, Rimelands: Hammer of Thor should be good for some eight to 10 hours of play on the go. Post-completion choices are present, but figure to hold appeal only to completionists. In any case, it’s a boon to the library of gamers partial to tabletop offerings.
THE GOOD
- Faithful port of iOS offering
- Enhanced, if dated, visuals and sound mix
- High degree of customization options
THE BAD
- Narrative light on exposition
- Simple gameplay mechanics
- Post-completion choices hold limited appeal
RATING: 7.5/10
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