While the likes of Zynga and Playfish are celebrating their ‘top dog’ status, it’s possible they should be circling days on their calendar. Yes, their days as ‘top dog’ are in fact numbered. On the rise for FB (and presumably Google+ once it’s gone live) are games that don’t suck. No more harassing your friends to be neighbors or having to use services to hunt down other players that actually want to play with you. A new era in FB gaming has finally arrived.
Gunshine.net
Has Facebook gotten its’ first real MMORPG? No I mean one where you move, walk and talk and get quests and craft and..whew…is it hot in here or is it just my gun? Gunshine, still in open beta, throws you into a futuristic, fantasy world where you can choose from 3 classes (that’s pretty much all most MMOs boil down to anyway) that are the equivalent of Tank, distance support and MEDIC! Ahem. Sorry. Once you escape from jail, with the help of some of your trusted com padres on the outside, you’ll have to fight your way to higher levels by doing missions. No, this is not like Mafia Wars or Mobsters, where you click and wait for the page to reload. Your little 3d character will be visible via the old school 3 quarter above view. You use your mouse primarily to get where you want to go, and to attack enemies. Yes, just like any other MMO, you’ll have to wait for powers to recharge and can craft stronger weapons and armor for yourself. You’ll even have to be careful not to step within your own blast radius or you’ll hurt yourself as well as your enemies (at least it appears to be so). What else is so cool about Gunshine? No energy bar. Pause to allow for clarification; you won’t use up your energy for the day and have to come back and play later. The game does appear to be supported by the current standards in free to play models. Purchasing Diamonds allows you to get upgrades for your character that will make them even more devastating in battle. The truly amazing thing about Gunshine? Even with all we just told you, that’s only scratching the surface.
Spa World
Yes you’re rolling your eyes, but fans who missed the boat when Diner Dash came and went from Facebook, (believe you me we got lots of calls about that one “How come you didn’t tell me DD was FB?! I would have played!”) will find that Spa World lessens the sting of loss. Spa World, another time management Sim, allows you to run your own spa, in short. You know the gist here, you get the customers in and out in quick fashion, of course making sure you do whatever they ask for. Pedi, Mani, facial and more as time goes on. Advertising is cleverly and un-obnoxiously hidden within the game in the form of products to use on your customers. And while you are prompted to share with your fellow Facebookians, you are not required to do so to gain a level. A very nice touch, indeed. But as with all time management games, the action gets faster and more furious with each new level. The game also continues to run, even when you’re not playing. This makes it challenging and loads of fun to play, even in short bursts as we all tend to do on Facebook.
Civ World
Long have I lamented that supposed simulators on FB lack that certain je ne sais quoi. The great god of RTSs, Sid Meir, heard my cries and answered with Civ World for FB. Though not an exact replica of the original, the game is still amazing in its’ own right, allowing players to create and build their empire without the limitations of time or even forcing you to have friends to level up. If you feel so inclined you can join with other civilizations such as the French or German (and no not all of those players speak those languages) gaming more powerful civilization bonuses. This is another that continues to run when you’re not playing, so one should be careful of being gone too long, you could come back to a kingdom in complete ruin. Players will also enjoy the ability to chat right in game with other players and seeing their kingdoms news scroll across the screen as the latest headline, both good and bad. Old school gamers will recognize the voice overs as some of the ones from Sid Meirs early days of Sim golf and even the first iteration of The Sims. While the current Sims doesn’t boast the same humorous undertones as before, Civ World has loads of it. I rather enjoyed watching my little subjects go about their daily lives and all insane and inane little things they do.
These are just 3 of the latest to grace the book of Faces and could be just the thing it needs. Real games ,that don’t stalk or harass us while we play. What a novel idea! <insert eye-roll here>
-F
