Nostalgia is a powerful force. This is especially tre with React Games’ remake of the classic commodore 64 title Archon (One of EA Games’ very first titles). Archon is a strange mix between a classic game of chess and an action game. Two sides, light and dark, square off in a battle for control of a checkerboard of white and black spaces. Victory comes either when one army is completely destroyed or one faction controls all five power points on the board. It was a smash hit 25 years ago and maintains a sizable fan base.
This is a faithful remake of the classic. Save for updated visuals and audio, nothing has been changed. All of the original pieces, from banshees to basilisks, are back and they use the same attacks. The flow of light and dark on the board remains so strategy-oriented players can wisely choose their strikes. All of the magic spells each team’s king-like character (wizard and sorceress) are the same, too. You can still summon elementals, heal wounded monsters, temporarily imprison foes, and more. Seriously, if you played Archon a few decades ago you’ll find yourself in some very familiar territory.
The action scenes that arise when two pieces vie for power of a square require good controls. For that Archon offers two schemes: virtual d-pad and tilt. Don’t bother with the tilt controls, they’re awful. The virtual d-pad is far superior, but even then it is not exactly as pin-point as some may demand. Sometimes I would get stuck on a rock or blow a shot due to fumbling with the virtual pad. However, I’m not sure what more React could do with touch-screen controls. It works well, but I know that for some it just will not work well enough.
Archon has multiple difficulty levels. The easy setting is almost too easy though. I was annihilating upper tier creatures such as unicorns with goblins (The chess equivalent of a chess pawn). But, boost the difficulty and you’ll be sure to find quite a challenge. Archon currently only has one game mode: single-player classic. Which I found relatively suprising considering how much fun it would be to play this game with a friend or even a random player from across the globe.
Pros:
- Very faithful remake of the original Reagen-era title.
- Fans of the original will love this revival.
Cons:
- Needs more game modes.
- Graphics may be too close to the original to entice the younger generation.
- Controls are in need of a bit of tweaking.
The forces of light and dark meet to battle for a chessboard.
Damn Banshees
Chess has never been so violent.
