Well here it is. The real thing. After an official partnering between Hasbro and Electronic Arts we now have the first legitimate 'RISK' title for the App Store, but was it really worth the wait when so many competitors already roaming the same territory? It's a natural question to ask, especially considering there have been variations on the 'world domination' board-game gameplay since the iPhone was released.
Gameplay follows the strict basic rulings of the board game and players can add up to 5 AI opponents in single-player. The interface is slick and simple to use, with easy to follow touch-prompts to move your troops and even the option to watch the dice rolls for hit-and-run strategies.
Dramatic special effects and smooth hand-drawn characters punch up the visuals to give this title more than a bit of spice, while emphatic field music inspired tracks really get you in the military mood. There's a true mark of quality in this version of RISK, which is to be expected, but for what you pay you'd honestly hope for more. Multiplayer comes in pass-to-play or local multiplayer only and there are no alternate boards, rulings or even the ability to run multiple games.
It's great to put the old skills back in to practice for this classic title, but ultimately you're paying for the name and 'official' rulings. For those that just have to keep it legit, this is still a decent offering, but with so many full-featured titles already available it's a hard game to recommend.
Description
Ready to relax this Memorial Day? Get over 55 EA games for 99¢ each – or FREE – on the App Store! Limited time only.
THE REAL RISK EXPERIENCE! Now on iPhone & iPod touch, pursue world domination with THE ORIGINAL game of strategic conquest. Mobilize against relentless computer-driven enemies or challenge up to 6 real-world multiplayer opponents. Play the game that has fired dreams of global conquest for generations!
THE ORIGINAL WAR GAME LIVES ON IN AN EXPLOSIVE NEW WAY
The updated look and feel also captures the powerful tradition of the authentic RISK experience. Strategize over the world map, attack with a “roll” of the dice, and fortify your advances with the same rule set as the classic board game.
ENGAGE IN MULTIPLE MODES OF BATTLE AGAINST COMPUTER & REAL-WORLD ENEMIES
Test your power against unforgiving computer-driven adversaries. Each in-game enemy features unique strategies and even emotional responses. Or escalate the action in two Multiplayer modes. Challenge up to 4 of your greatest personal rivals via WiFi or Bluetooth, or up to 6 with Pass ‘n Play.
DRAFT. ATTACK. FORTIFY. CRUSH YOUR OPPONENTS AND ACHIEVE HONOR
Attack enemy forces, and transfer and strengthen your armies in phased-based warfare. Track the progress and relative strength of opponents with easily accessible in-game statistics. Earn an extensive list of achievements as your armies dominate territory after territory.
STAY ON THE MARCH BACKED BY AN INSPIRING SOUNDTRACK
Stirring sound effects and morale-boosting music enhance the feelings of struggle – and triumph!
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GIFT THIS APP: Click the “Buy App” arrow on the iTunes® App Store
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What's New in Version 1.5.88
** NOW MAXIMIZED FOR RETINA DISPLAY! ALSO WAGE WAR SEAMLESSLY WITH FRIENDS PLAYING ON iPAD! ** Download the NEW UPDATE for a bolder, brighter, and better-than-ever RISK experience on iPhone and iPod touch.
In response to your feedback, improvements, additions, and optimizations include:
• iPad Multiplayer Integration – Connect with friends playing RISK for iPad in Local Games
• Expert Dice Selection – Choose the exact number of dice to use during battle
• New Cards Option – Play your RISK cards right to defeat enemies with the “Fixed” rule set
• Retina Display – The RISK board comes to life like never before with lush visuals
• AI Improvements – Face more cunning and intelligent adversaries
• UI Improvements – Setup games quicker and access new menu options
Pursue world domination with the best RISK experience yet! And, as always, thanks for playing.
$0.99
Comments
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First of all thanks for clearing out the part about pre delivered titles for reviewers, I really never though about that in that way, but actually it makes sense. (on that note, does the same thing maybe make titles more vulnerable for cracking and opening doors for illegal scene?)
Anyhow, to make long story short; I was always fan of official Risk (board or digital) and from first day of owning iPhone and trying out similar titles, there was always some sort of gap, for me at least. Its quite unexplainable through out technical details of game, maybe i'm not thinking logically/pragmatic and in "what-i-get-for-money" way but more emotionally...dunno really, but none of "alter-titles" never stayed on my phone more than a couple of days, but after first 3 or 4 games of official one, I know it will stay on my phone for long long time.
This is a perfect example of why I find 'numbers' and 'percents' a fairly silly idea when it comes to rating games, there's just too much personal investment in them. I'm glad this version really clicked with you, however I'll probably stick to Dominion ;)
And regarding illegal releases/cracked copies - to my knowledge this requires at least one legitimately purchased copy to generate. AdHoc copies (common for pre-release reviews) require unique files/protocols to work; I'm not sure the cracking process is the same, plus developers could easily track these back as they should still retain code specifically for that review site (digital watermarking as it were). I wish I knew all the technical details, but most illegal copies are likely to come from other sources ;)
Don't get me wrong guys, but, how do you actually manage to make almost all reviews that fast?
I mean, the game is one day out from store, and you already have all segments of the game considered and go through? Even if you got 100th of employees for that job, time is short.
For many games, I wasn't able to tell what I actually dislike and what I do, even after whole month of everyday play...to recommend it to friends.
For this title, so far, I like more over Dominion or Lux that lovely big dices animations which is core of the game. (Lux does not have dices at all, in Dominion they are too small, and everything happens way to fast for my taste) and whole GUI in Risk is more nice and friendly than with competition titles. I really don't miss any more modification/customization options...
Ahh well you're venturing in to interesting territory - the world of reviewing is a place where experience, knowledge and gut instinct need to be combined with a healthy dose of personal opinion ;)
Most titles are received prior to their release, either through the publishers themselves or due to delays via other international iTunes stores. Scheduling is very important in this regard - titles need to be reviewed and written ahead of time so the footage can be recorded and uploaded once they go live. Some games can be reviewed fairly quickly, others require more time to assess their features.
Experience, game knowledge and theory helps for dissecting a title in to likes/dislikes, while other personal factors are always going to be based on the reviewer's opinion - however this isn't to say they ignore other gamers; what they dislike may be perfectly amazing for someone else and visa versa.
Regarding RISK, I agree that this is completely the authentic experience - having access to the dice rolls is great and their graphical style is bold and easy to view. But for the same price players can get more features, most notably true 'multiplayer' modes, without compromising the gameplay. Lux is less of a clone and more of an 'in the style of' variant, but still, for the same price the consumer gets so much more.
Personally I didn't expect this to be dripping with features, but it's disappointing that they couldn't even include 1 or 2 extra maps from the official series of RISK games - and no multiplayer is just insulting; this is a board game... asking 5 people to have no choice but to buy the game or pass around 1 iDevice is amazingly silly.
Still, I'm glad you enjoy it and that's what counts most; no matter what you review, it all comes down to personal opinion. What one person dislikes, another may like - it's why I love the Kotaku system of 'Like/Dislike'... no numbers, just opinion that you can agree or disagree on :)