A quick glimpse of the Play store shows that there is no shortage of match 3 games or RPGs. This has been the case since the Play store launched, making it no surprise that the two genres were eventually mashed together.
One of the earlier and more successful games to do this was Puzzles and Dragons, by GungHo Online Entertainment, which was soon followed by a flood of match 3 RPG games.
With so many match 3 RPGs finding their way to the Play store, it takes some effort to stand out. One of the latest titles in this genre, Battle Camp, a hefty 99.07MB free to play game by PennyPop, is quickly climbing the ranks, already surpassing 500,000 downloads. The question on everyone’s mind: Is it worth your time?
Battle Camp’s gameplay is very similar to other match 3 RPGs. Battles are turn-based and consist of the player’s five monsters, each of which falls into one of the five elemental categories, battling a varying number of enemies. Attacks are made by dragging and moving the different colored elements around the screen and matching them. Matching 3 of the same color will trigger that color monster to attack, with matches greater than 3 leading to more damaging attacks. Additional matches made following the initial match can lead to very satisfying and devastating chain attacks, which often leave the entire enemy team in ruins.
The monsters, of which there are more than 400, have different rarities. Monsters of higher rarity levels can have special abilities, which take varying turns to activate. The special abilities range from defensive abilities to offensive or healing moves. These can often turn the tide of battle and add a needed complexity to the game. That said, this is something that is done in nearly all match 3 RPGs on the market and does little to set the actual gameplay apart from other titles in the genre.
The game features an energy system, something that often plagues free titles in the Play store. The player is limited to five energy which regenerates at a rate of one per 10 minutes. This isn’t too bothersome at first, as the early battles use one energy and the player levels up quickly in the early levels, which refills their energy as well. Unfortunately, the rate of leveling slows down dramatically and certain events or boss battles begin to use anywhere from two to five energy each. Were these events optional it wouldn’t be such an issue, however, many of them are bosses you are required to fight in order to progress. There is of course an option to pay for additional energy, but it hardly feels worth it when you can burn through it in a matter of minutes.
There is also a currency system in place. Stones are the primary currency and are used for feeding and evolving monsters. I found them to be plentiful early on and always had enough to stuff my monsters and evolve away. That said, I quickly hit a wall and was often forced to choose which monster I wanted to feed, leaving many of my other monsters underpowered and useless. This is where the second currency, gold, comes into play. Gold can be bought with real money, earned through leveling up, watching videos and selling your vital organs. Gold can then be exchanged for large quantities of stone or used to purchase additional inventory slots, gamble for premium monsters and other additional perks.
When the player isn’t in battle, they can visit numerous locations. The areas unlock as you progress through the story, with others unlocking for limited periods during time-based events. Inside each area the player is able to talk to numerous NPCs, interact with other players and battle the random monsters that spawn in the location. This is a nice change of the pace from the rather bare-bones approach many titles in this genre take, and does make the player feel more involved in the world surrounding the game.
You can also join a troop, which is similar to a guild system. Once in a troop you can battle other players, take on raid style bosses and use group chat. Each troop also has their own base, which can be visited on the map. Once at the base you can help take care of the troop’s token pet and socialize with other players currently at the base. This does give the game a sense of community that other titles in the genre lack and helps keep the core gameplay from becoming too repetitive.
The story itself is nothing to write home about. You are a lone trainer, on a quest to obtain all of the badges from the various leaders in the area. Before facing each trainer the player must jump through numerous hurdles put in place by the story, many of which involve fighting five of this monster or five of that monster. Normally this kind of artificial wall in the story wouldn’t bother me, but with the game’s extremely limited energy system it often leads to numerous breaks in your play session.
Battle Camp is far from being a small app, weighing in at 99.07MB. Fortunately, the game’s size shows in the polish of the graphics and sound. The game sports a very clean and cartoony look, with monsters and characters alike all being very vibrant and unique. The animations in battle are surprisingly fun for a match 3 RPG as well, as special attacks and combos light up the screen accompanied by excellent sound effects. The menus are also very clean and clear which makes things like leveling up a monster that much more satisfying. Similarly, the sound effects and music all make the game come to life and fit the atmosphere. The battle music is intense and does its best not to be repetitive, while the world music has a somewhat tribal vibe and fits the wild environment PennyPop has created.
It’s worth noting that Battle Camp has extremely pushy notifications that can’t be turned off. Several times a day my phone will light up and inform me that I have been sent something, should play more often or that my troop has been paired against another troop for combat. Furthering the unnecessary messages, the game greets you with several screens that must be closed before you can actually begin playing. The messages vary from reminders to invite your friends, notifications about things your friends sent you or a direct link to buy premium tokens from their store. These definitely remove the player from the game immediately upon entry and become very bothersome, very quickly.
While I have enjoyed my time in Battle Camp, I believe my journey to collect all of the badges will end with the writing of this review. The energy system, incessant notifications and constant reminders to buy things all outweigh the gameplay. Other match 3 RPGs have already nailed the core mechanics that Battle Camp offers and have done so without being so limited in their play structure. The troop system and pvp elements do set the game apart from other titles, but again, the energy system keeps them from being enjoyed for too long. Were the energy cap raised or the regeneration rate more appropriate and the unrelenting notifications removed, I would consider staying around. That said, the game is free and the only thing you have to lose is time. My only advice is that you keep your phone on vibrate and stuffed in a shoebox when you aren’t playing.
