Pentacore Review: Complex and Boring
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist
Pentacore is an MMO web browser game that takes players into the world of spells and magic. The game mixes elements from RPGs, tactics games, and social simulators. Players take the role of their own sorcerer in his/her own castle. The first thing players will probably notice is the game’s awesome 3d graphics which are rare for most browser games. The object of the game is to build an army & create spells to best your opponents. Other than the extremely good graphics, the game doesn’t offer anything new. To be honest, it was actually boring at some points, with an excruciatingly long waiting time (when upgrading and /or building structures and units). Although the graphics were enough to lure me into playing this game, I found myself “facepalming” fifteen minutes later. Were there any other redeeming qualities? Let’s check it out shall we?
Starting Out
Once you’ve logged into the game, you will be opted to name your castle and its location. You then pick between full screen mode and windowed mode, which hardly makes any difference at all. Since I was a newbie looking for a safe place to grow my army, I entered the newbie area to prevent other players from attacking my broke-arse kingdom. Players can gain experience by defeating monsters, completing quests, successfully defending their kingdom, and of course, attacking other players.
What Bores Thee Kind Sorcerer?
Funny you should ask! First of all, the tutorials were absolutely useless. Not only does it give you nothing but item descriptions, you’re also required to read a whole NOVEL of instructions that won’t even help you in the long run. The game pretty much drags you into the desert and literally leaves you for the crows. I’ve played tons of games that lack good tutorial schemes, but this one is the worst of em all. Another boring factor would have to be the loading time. Since you load 3d images instead of charts that simply show the in-game requirements and building options, the game sports a tremendous amount of downtime whenever you decide to do something else. Every option in the game is divided into rooms that serve a specific function. It would’ve been much easier to manage these features on a single window, but they just had to separate the options into different rooms. Also, just because you have an army does NOT mean you can just attack anyone you wish. Unfortunately, the game requires you to have a certain amount of energy gained from crystals and farming before executing an attack. This makes the game extremely slow, much like a long lecture before GYM class. It’s a friggin game! If it’s so war-like, where’s the war? What is this, Medieval Economy Online?
Hey Dumbledork! What Do I Do Again?
The whole complex system is good since it adds more depth to the game’s learning curve; however, it also makes mandatory features such as army creation extremely hardmanage. What really ticked me off was the feature where you have to enter your opponent’s co-ords before attacking. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH “CLICK—> ATTACK—-> RESULTS”? By far, the whole co-ords thing is pretty irrelevant. For those who are playing this game without knowing what ctrl+V does… I pity thee. Just thinking, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if they just gave a more effective tutorial.
Let’s Not Be Too Mean
The in-game world is pretty big, but like most MMOs out there, the game’s biggest problem revolves around its player base. I’ve seen a couple of players in the game, but I was unable to interact due to the fact that it took me hours to figure out how to talk to them. Worked for my advantage though, as I was able to strengthen up my castle before any bullies came online (if people still play, that is). Wanna hear something positive? Well…
ATTACK!!!
Unlike other browser games, Pentacore has more than just your average type of attack. I guess it’s up to the player’s preferences. Aside from being able to attack your foes, the game allows players to destroy (complete annihilation), expel (banish), conquer, and steal (currency) from his/her opponents by accessing the weird skull shaped thingy in the War room. It’s an awesome feature, really. It is possibly one of the few redeeming qualities of the game. If you want to go play tyrant in a world of magic, then this will definitely come in handy.
The game actually has a bunch of sneaky tactics like militia-making that make the whole war experience worthwhile. Players can also summon monster allies by creating pentagrams (an AWESOME feature).
Graphics and Interface
As far as graphics go, Pentacore’s visuals are second to noneAside from the world map and town layout, the rooms and control centers look exquisite. Each room really looks different from the rest, giving players a sense of diversity as they venture inside their castle (or click around the castle). There’s no denying the fact that the game’s visuals are fantastic for a browser game. The interface isn’t too shabby either. It’s not really newbie friendly but you’ll definitely appreciate the game’s overall layout.
The Verdict
What can I say? The game looks really good but the long downtime and impractical game play ruined it. The game has a complex system, perfect for players who are looking for a challenge. Magic fans would probably have their hands full with Pentacore, being a game that deals with pentagrams, summoning and various mythical creatures. It does get boring after a few hours of solitude, but I guess some games are just meant to be played by specific people. I suppose there are times when too much depth isn’t good, especially for a game that lacks tutorials. All in all, I’d say Pentacore is a game that bored me to death. I’m still trying to keep an open mind about the game as it may still appeal to some players, but if you’re looking for a good browser game, I suggest you stay away from this one.
Pros:
– Magic Symbols and Pentagrams
– Attack options
– Good graphics
– Huge World.
Cons:
– Boring (PLAIN BORING)
– Bad tutorials
– Lack of explanation for complex features
– Navigation is a pain, especially when entering rooms
– EXTREMELY LONG DOWNTIME.
