A few weeks back, a new game came out called Parallel Mafia. It was a new game from the same company, PerBlue, which produced Parallel Kingdom. Both of the parallel games are location-based RPG games. I have heard a lot of good things about Parallel Kingdom but had not played it so I decided to give the new game a try. It has taken me a while to write this review, because I have been busy playing both games!
Name: Parallel Mafia | Developer: PerBlue | Genre: Casual | Players: 1 | Version: 1.5 | Size: 9.5 MB | Price: Free | Rating: Medium Maturity
Parallel Mafia is set in a crime-ridden futuristic world there is only chaos, corruption, and Mafia control. You start off the game with just yourself and a few weapons. From there, you will go as far as you want. The game is setup that you can play by yourself and/or with others.
To advance you need to build and visit store fronts, where you can complete jobs for cash, items, and experience. As you move around, you will encounter, muggers, dealers, gang members, all of which you can “deal with”. As you finish jobs, your influence will grow in the area and soon it will be your “turf.”
The game is pretty straight forward but does require some strategy and planning. I have been very impressed with the amount of stuff in the game. As you advance, you earn augments which can be used to acquire new skills and after level 5 a class. The different types of classes are Assassin, Enforcer, Hitman, Sentinel, Sharp Shooter, and Soldier.
The game’s currency is Credits. You get some credits when you begin but if you want to advance and move forward, you will need to figure out how to earn them while you play. To level up, it will cost you 80 credits. You earn credits, by selling items in the game’s market area or via in- game purchases. At first I was a bit concerned over this, so I asked the developer about it.
With both games it is free to play but you will need Food (for PK) and Credit (for PM) to advance. What do you recommend folks to do to try and play without paying?
The best part about Parallel Kingdom and Parallel Mafia is that if you don’t want to, you never have to pay into the game. We’ve created many mechanics that allow players to earn or trade for the in-game paid currency.
The best way to earn in-game paid currency is by encouraging your friends to play. Use the referral code ( hpnqpo ) in your character page, and pass it along to your friends when they create their account. In Parallel Mafia, you’ll get 40 free Credits each time they level up (up to 400 Credits). Another good option for earning Credits or Food is by selling other resources in the Black Market or Trade Hub respectively.
Can you comment on what the average player spends (in real $$) on the game. I do not mind spending money on a game I like but I also challenge myself to play as long as I can without using money.
Only about 20% of our converted players (those who play for five consecutive day after creating an account) actually ever pay into the game. However, our non-paying players are just as important to us as paying players. We need non-paying players to contribute to the social and trading community, as much as we need paying players in our game.
To see more of my interview, please head over to DroidReviewCentral.
Parallel Mafia recently surpassed 100K players and I am not surprised. The game is an easy one to play for a few minutes and then put down and come back to it later. My son and I are currently tag teaming, I will play for a while and then he will play some later. Also I have not had any trouble selling items for credits in the market!
The game is location-based which means it is played on top of Google maps. When you first join, you begin your adventure by building a safe house and business front where you physically are located. It is pretty cool to see you character cruising down your own street. Right now there no other players (that I can tell) near me so I can grow and expand at will. Having nearby players definitely adds a new dimension to game.
So if you like MMO type games, I would give Parallel Mafia a try. As it is relatively new, this is an excellent time to jump in and stake your claim. If interested, you can check out their online guide here. I look forward to going my mafia and seeing how the game evolves.
Name: Parallel Kingdom | Developer: PerBlue | Genre: Casual | Players: 1 | Version: 4.3.12 | Size: 7.9 MB | Price: Free | Rating: Medium Maturity
Parallel Kingdom was the first location-based game from PerBlue, coming out about 4 years ago and currently has over 1 million players. The game is very similar to Parallel Mafia (or maybe it should be the other way around) but has a medieval theme.
To play you travel around, killing creatures, collecting items, mining for resources, and selling and trading for food. Food is the in game credit and works the same as credits do in Parallel Mafia. You will need food to advance.
You can play solo or be part of a city and/or Kingdom or build your own. It is a very well established game and I found there are a good number of people in my area playing. Because of this, I had to actually created my initial log cabin many miles from my current location since the land was taken.
One of great things about the game is that you are assigned a mentor. A mentor is a real player who is there to lend a hand, answer questions, and give you guidance. I find this game a bit more complicated because there is so many people playing and so much going on in the game. The mentor for me has been tremendous. The online guide is also a big help.
I definitely can recommend either of these games. Parallel Mafia is the one I will probably spend more time on, since it is new and does not seem as “busy” to me. The key though to either of the games is to play consistently on a daily basic. If you did a little bit everyday and take some time to explore the world, you will be advancing in no time.
