The eyes of the enemy tell the cold hard fact that they will not let their guard down and that they intend on dominating the opposing side until every last man is defeated. Blow after crushing blow, each side comes up with their own strategy and puts them in effect with lethal consequences. Each side knows that taking out the King will assure them victory and that will take careful thinking and a few sacrifices. This isn’t a battlefield or a historical battle, I’m describing. I’m talking about chess, a game that requires a player to use their wits to defeat their opponent. Online Chess Kingdoms for the PSP is here to give us a neat twist to the old game and now you can take your game on the go.
You want to take a stab at creating a chess game on a high tech device that will appeal to today’s kids? I sure wouldn’t know where to start but Konami did. And they did it well!
Story 7/10
A story mode on a chess game? Get out of here…. Yes its true, it features a unique story mode, which offers the player the choice of five different chess sets. Set in an ancient world, five distinct regimes are vying for tactical supremacy over their foes. These factions--magicians, an aquatic race, cybernetic beings, forest spirits and servants of chaos--are represented by different chess pieces and use different animations to show them taking and losing pieces. The story mode also features hidden story elements that can be unlocked by completing pre-set tasks.
The game will place you on a Risk-styled strategic map where you will be able to position your unit, rethink every move and attempt to dominate enemy territory whether you’re attempting to take a city or the capitol. Run into the opposing team’s army results in a game of chess where the outcome determines life or death. Running into an enemy on the map results in “combat” where you will find yourself going up against your enemy’s army on a “battlefield” that resembles a chessboard. You’ll be playing a game of chess with the same chess rules only when you take out your opponent’s chess piece you’ll watch as your piece smashes, slices or casts a lethal spell that will kill said piece. It’s nothing too violent, mind you. There are also special abilities you can use at any time during your turn. Combined, all of these things make for a very interesting take on the game of chess. While the story is told in chapters, don’t expect a deep and involving tale.
