Reviewed: May 23, 2007
Reviewed by: Jeff Gedgaud
Publisher
FUN Games
Developer
Octopi
Released: May 10, 2007
Genre: Strategy
Players: Online
ESRB: N/A
8
8
7
10
8.3
System Requirements
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
The Drums of War have sounded. Will you take up arms?
Poxnora is back with a new expansion as well as some great gameplay advances for this online strategy game with chess like moves. In the same style and gameplay as Warhammer role playing games using those little lead figures Poxnora creates an online world of magic, creatures and sword play.
At the Poxnora store you purchase your characters and other gameplay equipment to play against others using the various factions of the Pox universe. You can also play for free using preselected battle groups that cannot gain levels. Poxnora: The Drums of War expansion includes new characters, equipment, spells and relics as well as using a ranked system that will change the story line of the game depending on which faction is leading the pack.
Drums of War is the first expansion from Octopi and Fun Games that adds new gameplay elements to the Poxnora game. There are new characters and other objects as well as the ranked system added for the expansion along with new maps and new game types. You play against others in the Poxnora game of strategy role-playing with chess like moves using your characters with unique abilities.
The Pox universe now has 8 factions to choose your characters and equipment from but the expansion lobby only allows one or two factions to play at a time. The Drums of War ranked games allows you to play with either 20 runes from one faction or a split of ten each from two factions. The Drums of War arena plays on a ranked lobby with games of one on one. You can also view games as a spectator with the new observer mode to help your own gameplay by watching others.
The game is basically the same; you fight using runes consisting of characters, spells, equipment and magic items called relics. Each game is a turn based strategy session where the object of the game is to destroy the other players’ home base or shrine. Using a vast array of characters and other objects you have to outfit your battle group for war and decide what is the best mix of warriors, magic users and the equipment or spells to take with them.
The Drums of War expansion not only adds the new Runes but also two new game types: Capture the Flag and King of the Hill. Gameplay for these new types is basically the same but you no longer defend or attack the opponents shrine but either capture a flag in the enemies territory and return it to your shrine or capture a central location and defend it for a specified time. The Capture the Flag and King of the Hill game types only use Champions and no spells or relics in the gameplay.
Poxnora is a fun game but if you’re not very strategically minded you can easily find yourself beat to smithereens. Choosing the correct mix of fighters and objects is tricky but the game makers have helped out with some new additions in the form of non-ranked games and observer mode. They also have a game type coming soon that plays against AI bots so you won’t be too embarrassed when they whip you.
The graphics are basically the same but with some new maps and the new runes for all the factions. The artwork is really very good with the drawn cards known as runes being an artwork in itself much like many of the role playing games played on a tabletop. The graphics for effects like magic attacks and spells look very good as well as the attacking movements of your Champions.
The background music, which sounds very good, is appropriate to the setting of mythical creatures and the game in general. Magic has that twinkling, well magical sound to it and sword and weapon hits use those metallic sounds, well you get the picture. Poxnora has some very good quality sound effects for the magic, spells and other effects when they occur and there are always settings to turn on or off various parts during gameplay.
Overall there is not much to be said about the graphics or the sound other than it was pretty good and about the same quality as the original game.
With the new ranked system and new types of games people can not only have fun playing a different game style but can affect the outcome of the games story line. The rankings will determine which faction is at the top of the game at any time and this will decide what type of story the company uses in the future.
There is also a premium account you may purchase that includes a new banner for a particular faction that increases many of the qualities of a particular faction of Champions. In the premium account you can also purchase individual runes that others could not buy separately in the past.
The value for this game is very high due to the type of open-ended gameplay you will always face online. No two people will play the same and you can always learn more moves and techniques to perfect your gameplay. Poxnora has a huge fan base with over 800,000 registered users since the games creation.
Poxnora is a great game even if you do not have a very strategic mind; the gameplay is very reminiscent of chess with some added fun of magic and swordplay. The new expansion adds a lot of new and great benefits as well as some twists to make the game even better. Check out the game for free by going to the site and trying your hand a few games to see if you like it.