Android has no dearth of games, but sometimes, they tend to congregate on tried and tested money makers or "safe bets". There are some, however, that do try to strike out on their own and attempt to bring game styles that, while not exactly totally new, are not that common on Android. Lionheart Tactics from Kongregate, the same guys who just last week brought Game of Thrones Ascent to Android, is a game set to the tune of the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, but can it really stand up to these two classics?
The game starts off with a young king who, like any other young king, dreams of epic feats that will be sung for generations. And just his luck, his kingdom happens to be attacked by dark forces from beyond a mystical wall. Unfortunately for him, they never sent a memo that they'd be attacking in the middle of the night. After a tutorial phase, the hero and his motley crew travels around the kingdom doing good deeds, collecting rewards, all while trying to actually find out the source of the evil. While there is indeed a plot behind the game, don't expect any deep, gut wrenching, heart breaking story from the likes of Japan's best titles. That said, Kongregate should be at least commended for trying to punctuate otherwise monotonous quests with a bit of humor, delivered via typical JRPG dialogs and character portraits.
Gameplay-wise, Lionheart Tactics could be said to be a simplified version of your typical turn-based tactical RPGs. FF Tactics and the like might sometimes burden you with minute details about where to face after a move, elevation, and elements, but Lionheart will leave you to mind only the distances and obstacles, sometimes not even the latter. Tap on a character and you will see where he or she needs to go to move or to attack. Sometimes you can even immediately attack and your character will conveniently move to that spot. One weird thing is that ranged characters' attacks seem to be able to go through walls. Don't worry if you make a wrong tap when just trying to move a character. You can move them again as much as you wish, as long as you don't attack or use a skill or tap on that end turn button.
As for controls, everything is, of course, touch-based, which is a bane and a boon. It's good because you won't feel like you need to use a controller just to get the most out of the game. Bad because, at least in Lionheart Tactics, it can be pretty inaccurate. You can pinch to zoom, double swipe to rotate, and single swipe pan, unlike in FF Tactics where viewing angles and zoom levels are limited. However, those camera movements are not always precise, sometimes leading you to zoom in too much. There is also a problem when the game engine mistakes a swipe to pan as a move command. Luckily, your movement isn't exactly that limited as mentioned above.
Lionheart Tactics tries to bring some more familiar gaming mechanics to Android, in particular, a turn-based tactical RPG, but it hasn't dared to go beyond some of the established conventions of mobile gaming. You still have things like short spurts of combat dispersed over a map and disguised as quests, a progression system perhaps popularized by hits like Angry Birds and Candy Crush. And yes, it has in-app purchases too, mostly for your usual power ups and speed ups. With a refreshingly new (but old) playing style and decent quality graphics, Lionheart Tactics is almost a good contender for a competitive Android game. But the rather unreliable controls and artificial progression system gives you an impression of an unpolished game that still has one foot in the inescapable tropes of mobile gaming. That said, if you actually prefer less engaging, less time consuming, short bursts of gameplay and can look past the IAP and control flaws, this might be a game worth trying out.
Download: Lionheart Tactics on Google Play Store
