Developer: JoliYeti Games inc.
Price: Free
Size: 381.6 MB
Version: 1.0.6
Platform: iPhone & iPad
If you’re someone who finds the bulk of today’s free-to-play mobile RPGs to be skill-free tap-fests, then Micro RPG presents another way.
It still thrives off the constant drip-feed of level-up rewards and simplistic turn-based combat. But the latter retains enough interactivity and strategy to feel like it actually requires you to be present.
Each weapon has its own range and unique coverage
Micro RPG is no idle game, in other words, even if it presents itself as one. As you tap to enter each battle, you’ll find your cute character at the center of a circular battlefield, surrounded by goons.
Each of your three weapons has its own arc of effect around you. There are long-distance pikes, axes that hit in front and behind, and more.
Consecutive hits increase your attack’s power
Choosing the right weapon for the job is only part of the strategy here, though. You’ll also need to target the enemies who are ready to attack you, as signified by a red exclamation mark above their head.
Finally, you need to time your attack properly, with a rotating aiming reticle that requires good reflexes to pull off successfully.
There are loads of weapons to unlock and level up
Add in varying enemy types that each cause you a specific form of pain – from ranged attacks to the ability to teleport across the screen – and Micro RPG suddenly becomes much more involving than your average idle time-waster.
Not that it’s lost all of the trappings of the idle RPG format. You’ll still hit a moment where your serene progression is rudely halted, and you’ll have to start leaning into the game’s virtual currencies to get things moving again. The alternative is to grind older levels, watch lengthy ads, or of course spend your own actual cash.
Working through each of the five themed worlds is a linear affair
How much this model bothers you will be a very individual thing. From our perspective, it’s far from the most egregious free-to-play model, but it’s not without its friction points either.
Thankfully, Micro RPG wins a lot of bonus points for its charming, characterful presentation. You might have just been wiped out by a gaggle of deadly spiders, but it’s hard to get too mad when they look so cute.
Boss levels require you to line up sweeping attacks to break through their defences
While it wears its RPG title quite lightly, you do get the compulsion of acquiring new weapons and new characters, each with their own unique attributes.
All in all, Micro RPG is a game that doesn’t attempt to reinvent the casual RPG wheel, but it does re-engage with the basic idea that even the simplest of games should be interactive and skill-based.