A brief recap of what my ‘First Look’ posts are about:
The ‘First Look’ is a review of a game – not always a new game – that I am playing for the first time. I’ll play through the Opening Level(s) or Tutorial and give opinions on game play, mechanics, music, and other aspects of the game.
Marvel Strike Force is a mobile game for Android and iOS. You are a Commander that’s working for S.H.I.E.L.D. boss, Nick Fury. Fury us tracking down a figure known as Ultimus; Ultimus is conquering multiple Earths, capturing and brainwashing their heroes, and using them to conquer other worlds.
You begin the game as Spider-Man, investigating some shady goings on in New York. Fury also sends one of his top Healing Specialists with you.
The game is a turn-based action game. If you are on Facebook, and played Avengers Alliance back in the day, it is a spiritual successor to that game. You control a team of 3 heroes (but only 2 to start), each with a “general” attack and a “special” attack. Each hero also fits under one of 5 classes, such as Brawler (likes to get up close and personal with people) or Protection (can take punishment, while guarding other team members).
The game puts a great deal of effort in showing you what each character can do (you’ll eventually pick up Luke Cage, early), what each mission will entail, what each area of the Home Screen does and means, and what you need to do to improve and enhance your characters (such as Training). What it doesn’t do well – so far – is explain what the many items that you can earn do.
Layout
The Home Screen (above, shown in 2 parts) is loaded with vital info. On the far left, you have “personal” info: Roster button, Achievements, and a button for Messages are in one area. The left-center is focused on Modes: Arena (which is locked), Challenges (also locked), and Events highlight that section. The right-center: the Heroes area (unofficial name), where you can recruit new Heroes, the area where you start/continue Campaigns, and the Gear area, where you can equip the latest and best weapons, armor, and trinkets. The right area contains the spots where you can play as a Hero or a Villain.
Game Play
Your team of 2 or 3 (or more, later) will face off with a team of foes; the smallest team I faced was 2 members, the largest was 5. You take turns attacking, using whatever attacks are available to you. See the two icons in the bottom-right of the above pictures? Those are Spider-Man’s Generic (left) and Special (right) attacks. Click on an enemy, then click on one of the attacks to attack the selected enemy. The Special Attacks may take a few rounds to recharge (indicated by the yellow bars above the icon) but they are much more powerful and could help your team or hurt the entire enemy team. For example, Spider-Man’s Special Attack webs one enemy and attacks at least one additional enemy. Beware, for your enemies also have Generic and Special attacks… and they can hurt. Winter Soldier, for example, has a Special that repeatedly shot an opponent, even while he walked closer to them, to the point that my healing Specialist was killed in one turn. Use a combination of attacks and heals to win the fight!
Once you defeat a team of enemies – and it’s not a given, in the early stages – you earn experience points, Gear Shards (that can be cashed in for Upgrades), and Objective Items, among many other items.
If all goes well, you earn the chance to unlock and recruit The Punisher at the end of the Tutorial section. You are then on your own, as Nick Fury sends you out to stop various villains, gather info, and find out what Ultimus is exactly up to. And, you might find out what this “S.T.R.I.K.E. Force” is, that Fury recruited you for…
I am playing Strike Force on a Samsung Galaxy 8+. I’m currently Level 4, about an hour or so into the game. The game tries to get you to buy different upgrades, perks, and even characters, but I won’t partake in any purchases until I’m well into the game, and even that’s not a certainty.
There’s very little that I dislike, so far. I don’t know what a lot of the items in the game are for, and the Tutorial did not explain them much. Other than that, the rest of the game has been very enjoyable! I’m getting more comfortable with Turn-Based games, so that’s an extra bonus. I’ll write an update on the game once I hit, and pass, Level 10.
The Nexus 