Game:

Loren the Amazon Princess (2012)

Duration: 0:00

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At this point in the game, we’re shown the world map. It shows a large picture map of the in-game world, known as Aravorn, along with the various locations we can actually visit. Right now only the Citadel and Grimoire are visible, but as time goes on we’ll unlock a lot of new areas. There’s also a “Camp” button in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, and I decide to click on it. This is where we can speak to our party members to get to know them better. As in Planet Stronghold, doing so allows us to ultimately unlock character sidequests and romances. Right now only Loren’s available to talk to, so I click on her picture. In the discussion that follows, Saren tries to get more information about the circumstances surrounding the queen’s disappearance, but Loren doesn’t know much. All we know is that she simply wasn’t in her bedchamber one morning, and for some reason nobody could find her. It sounds very concerning, but Saren assures her that this search will be successful. Loren puts on a show of already knowing that, but it’s clear that she’s privately isn’t sure and needed the encouragement.

The conversation ends, and we could click on her again to talk more but I decide to leave Camp and click the Grimoire location. When I do, the story picks up. We’re in a wooded area outside the city, and come across a person in trouble. Someone’s been tied up and put in a bag that’s hanging from a tree! They’re calling for help, and when we head over to rescue them we’re intercepted by a pack of goblins! This kicks off our first battle of the game, and when we go to the battle screen I show the tutorial before getting into the action. As I mentioned earlier, in battle each side has two rows of three. In the combat screen, our side is represented by two rows on the bottom half of the screen, while the enemy occupies two rows at the top. The characters in the front row can freely attack each other with melee weapons, but characters in the back row can only attack with ranged weapons or special abilities. The flip side is that because their front-row allies are shielding them, the enemy can only attack them at range, as well. For that reason, it’s best to place each character in a row suited to their abilities. Warriors like Loren and Saren work best in the front, because their raw physical strength and high health make them good brawlers. Technically, you can place a warrior in the back row and have them use a bow and arrow, but that’s a waste of their natural abilities. Conversely, thieves and especially mages need to stay in the back and function as the proverbial artillery. Not only does putting them in front make them much more vulnerable, but using a ranged weapon from the front row actually imposes a penalty.

For this first battle, the enemy roster consists of two Goblin Warriors in the front row and two Goblin Thieves in the back row. On Hard difficulty they have more health than normal, making the fight a bit tougher, but we still win without much trouble. We can inflict far more damage per hit than the greenskins, and I make a point of concentrating our attacks on one opponent at a time to quickly eliminate each threat. Once we’ve won, we return to the story and rescue the person trapped in the bag. It’s a tall blond man who Saren notices has elf ears. He introduces himself to us as Draco Firestarter, a half-elf mage who, as his name indicates, specializes in fire magic. Draco gives a brief demonstration by creating a fireball, but Loren and Saren are unimpressed. Loren asks how he managed to get captured by goblins if he’s such a powerful mage, and Draco claims that the goblins who captured him were as tall as trees. He’s clearly exaggerating, and is generally a total goofball, so Loren and Saren both firmly decline his offer to join the party. He leaves disappointed, but as Saren notes to Loren, that won’t be the last we see of Draco Firestarter.