ChessLocke
- March 4, 2021
- Taylor Hatton
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamChessLocke is a single-player Fantasy Role Playing game, with a campaign where every game is unique, based on standard Chess movements with RPG elements. Your pieces gain experience points, level ups, and new abilities to unlock and upgrade. The goal is to land on the enemy Throne and stay there for 1 turn, and XP will be accumulated to spend on new abilities and upgrades, with each power piece having 3 unique abilities for capturing, defending, and utility. The game continues even if the King is captured, and the Knight has a Joust ability for straight-line attacks.
Reviews
- ChessLocke offers a unique and innovative take on chess, introducing special abilities for pieces that enhance gameplay and strategy.
- The game is addictive and enjoyable, providing a fun way to spend time while honing chess skills through its challenging levels.
- The community and developer support are commendable, with a great soundtrack and a variety of maps/layouts that keep the experience fresh.
- The user experience is unintuitive, with overwhelming ability lists and a lack of effective tutorials, making it difficult for new players to grasp the game.
- The AI is inconsistent, leading to unpredictable gameplay, and the game suffers from a grindy XP system that can hinder progress.
- Visual aspects of the game are criticized as unattractive, with limited customization options for pieces and boards, detracting from the overall experience.
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is not explicitly detailed in the review, but it suggests a strategic gameplay experience where missions vary in setup and require careful use of limited abilities. The reviewer notes a potential drawback in the mechanics, indicating that the narrative may be overshadowed by gameplay efficiency rather than a compelling storyline.
“Now that I've played through the whole game (and beat it like it owed me money), I found the story lacking depth and engagement.”
“The missions felt repetitive, and the story didn't evolve in a meaningful way throughout the gameplay.”
“While the mechanics were interesting, the overall narrative failed to captivate me, making the experience feel hollow.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed feedback, with some praising the artwork and music as impressive, while others felt the graphics lacked a certain polish or professionalism. Overall, the visuals are considered original and contribute to the game's unique charm, though they may not appeal to everyone.
“Great artwork and music, a great deal totally worth buying!”
“I wish the graphics weren't so 'professional'.”
“If you're not worried about graphics, it's definitely an original game.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its killer soundtrack and overall quality, which enhances the gaming experience. The combination of great artwork and music, along with engaging gameplay elements like achievements and upgrades, makes it a worthwhile purchase.
“Great artwork and music, a great deal totally worth buying!”
“Killer soundtrack, wide variety of maps/layouts, achievements to unlock for extra XP... oh, did I mention you get XP and can upgrade chess pieces to have abilities?”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious and frustrating, with some noting that it detracts from the overall experience due to inconsistent AI behavior.
“Much, much too grindy and the AI is inconsistent.”
“As it is, it's just the far side of too grindy and irksome to be worth it.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while the gameplay mechanics offer strategic depth, they can also lead to situations where quickly ending a mission by targeting the opponent's throne is more efficient than engaging in the intended tactical gameplay of capturing all enemy pieces.
“However, I think this mechanic is also a drawback when sometimes it's much faster to end the mission by landing on the opponent's throne than to capture all enemy pieces.”
