If you like word games or wish there was a word game that was fun; you need to play Bookworm Adventures 2. This game is a combination of Boggle, Scrabble and an old school R.P.G. I am always on the lookout for new word games, as I prefer hard core designer board game, but my family and older friends are lovers of less complex games. Particularly word games, and so in search of something other than Boggle and Scrabble (which we’ve played ad nauseam) we have acquired and played other titles: Word Sweep!, Keesdrow, and Bananagrams. While this is all well and good my mother has recently been honing her skills by playing the electronic version of Scrabble, putting her ahead of the game in terms of vocabulary. I myself could never do this as I have played Scrabble so many damn times, playing it in addition to the times we play it regularly would put me into axe-murderer crazy mode. So one day while looking to see if Popcap had any games besides Plants vs. Zombies that didn’t suck, I came across a couple of games I hadn’t heard of: Feeding Frenzy 2 and Bookworm Adventures 2. Don’t play Feeding Frenzy 2. It is an insipidly silly, stupid game that must be made for mentally retarded kids. Not that there is anything wrong with retards, it’s just that I am sure non-retarded players want a little more out of a game than a retard would. Basically, you don’t play Feeding Frenzy 2 for the same reason you don’t play World of Warcraft: you’re not a damn retard. But I digress. The other game I played that day was Bookworm Adventures 2 and though it took a while to hit its stride, this game is an absolute delight to people who like literature and are competent spellers and/or writers. By stride, I mean when all the game’s elements and modes are revealed. Like how Plants vs. Zombies strung along its longevity by not offering jack until you cleared it once, Bookworm Adventures 2 doesn’t get really good until you clear the first couple of books. Also, it’s pathetically easy starting out. The chance of dying is nonexistent until far into the game when you really have to manage your items well. ‘Manage items’ you query, ‘in a word game?’ Ah yes, as I have mentioned, this game combines its word thrills with R.P.G. elements and one of the ways it does so is that anytime you clear a chapter, you acquire and item or companion that offers magical abilities. You can only choose two items and one companion to take with you through each chapter so you need to make a wise decision which abilities will be most helpful.. For instance the Cheshire cat will cure you of negative status effects every four turns and the Porridge makes you resistant to stun attacks, while a certain weapon gives you extra damage if you use adjectives against your foes. Yes, you use words to attack your enemies. When you meet a foe you have a 16 x 16 tile grid, with each tile depicting a letter with a bronze silver or gold dot on it that indicates the letters effectiveness (I.E. “e” is bronze, “z” is gold). During your attack phase you spell the longest word with the best letters you can, to inflict as much damage as possible. Also, longer words grant you gem tiles that when used imbue your attacks with special abilities. For instance, a red gem weakens your opponent and burns him for successive round damage. When your opponent attacks he does so with one of his many attacks that include damage dealers to nasty special attacks which can damage your tiles, stun, petrify or freeze you, inflict negative status effects or even change your letters to more difficult ones to use. The combat goes back and forth until either you or your opponent is gone. Of course if you die you have to start the chapter over but you do so with more items via participating in one of the many mini-games offered. The mini-games are all fun, though many are far too easy, they really mix up the gameplay and after the second book is cleared you can play them at will. Some of them I find myself quitting because I can’t lose, like my favorite one where you have five chances to guess a mystery word. By playing the mini-games in the adventure mode, you acquire more potions to use in your quest. The game takes you through three books (quests) each with around 7 chapters and that is quite long. The game however, is best had in small doses, as its repetitive gameplay (spelling words over and over) wears after an hour and a half, but after a break, it is fun to return to. Also, you can save and quit at any time, which adds to this title as a great diversion, on-the-go type game. A good deal of game that will last you some time and it’s $20 on Steam. The only complaints I have about Bookworm Adventures 2 are its repetitiveness, the simple visuals (they aren’t too bad though) and the overall easiness of the game and mini games. Oh and the fact that you can’t use naughty words. Other than that, it is a cute humor filled game that successfully combines the R.P.G. and word game genres to good effect. Plus, there are boss battles! Rating : 7

PC Game Review: Bookworm Adventures Volume 2

If you like word games or wish there was a word game that was fun; you need to play Bookworm Adventures 2. This game is a combination of Boggle, Scrabble and an old school R.P.G. I am always on the lookout for new word games, as I prefer hard core designer board game, but my family and older friends are lovers of less complex games. Particularly word games, and so in search of something other than Boggle and Scrabble (which we’ve played ad nauseam) we have acquired and played other titles: Word Sweep!, Keesdrow, and Bananagrams. While this is all well and good my mother has recently been honing her skills by playing the electronic version of Scrabble, putting her ahead of the game in terms of vocabulary. I myself could never do this as I have played Scrabble so many damn times, playing it in addition to the times we play it regularly would put me into axe-murderer crazy mode. So one day while looking to see if Popcap had any games besides Plants vs. Zombies that didn’t suck, I came across a couple of games I hadn’t heard of: Feeding Frenzy 2 and Bookworm Adventures 2. Don’t play Feeding Frenzy 2. It is an insipidly silly, stupid game that must be made for mentally retarded kids. Not that there is anything wrong with retards, it’s just that I am sure non-retarded players want a little more out of a game than a retard would. Basically, you don’t play Feeding Frenzy 2 for the same reason you don’t play World of Warcraft: you’re not a damn retard. But I digress.

The other game I played that day was Bookworm Adventures 2 and though it took a while to hit its stride, this game is an absolute delight to people who like literature and are competent spellers and/or writers. By stride, I mean when all the game’s elements and modes are revealed. Like how Plants vs. Zombies strung along its longevity by not offering jack until you cleared it once, Bookworm Adventures 2 doesn’t get really good until you clear the first couple of books. Also, it’s pathetically easy starting out. The chance of dying is nonexistent until far into the game when you really have to manage your items well.

‘Manage items’ you query, ‘in a word game?’ Ah yes, as I have mentioned, this game combines its word thrills with R.P.G. elements and one of the ways it does so is that anytime you clear a chapter, you acquire and item or companion that offers magical abilities. You can only choose two items and one companion to take with you through each chapter so you need to make a wise decision which abilities will be most helpful.. For instance the Cheshire cat will cure you of negative status effects every four turns and the Porridge makes you resistant to stun attacks, while a certain weapon gives you extra damage if you use adjectives against your foes. Yes, you use words to attack your enemies. When you meet a foe you have a 16 x 16 tile grid, with each tile depicting a letter with a bronze silver or gold dot on it that indicates the letters effectiveness (I.E. “e” is bronze, “z” is gold). During your attack phase you spell the longest word with the best letters you can, to inflict as much damage as possible. Also, longer words grant you gem tiles that when used imbue your attacks with special abilities. For instance, a red gem weakens your opponent and burns him for successive round damage. When your opponent attacks he does so with one of his many attacks that include damage dealers to nasty special attacks which can damage your tiles, stun, petrify or freeze you, inflict negative status effects or even change your letters to more difficult ones to use. The combat goes back and forth until either you or your opponent is gone. Of course if you die you have to start the chapter over but you do so with more items via participating in one of the many mini-games offered.

The mini-games are all fun, though many are far too easy, they really mix up the gameplay and after the second book is cleared you can play them at will. Some of them I find myself quitting because I can’t lose, like my favorite one where you have five chances to guess a mystery word. By playing the mini-games in the adventure mode, you acquire more potions to use in your quest.

The game takes you through three books (quests) each with around 7 chapters and that is quite long. The game however, is best had in small doses, as its repetitive gameplay (spelling words over and over) wears after an hour and a half, but after a break, it is fun to return to. Also, you can save and quit at any time, which adds to this title as a great diversion, on-the-go type game. A good deal of game that will last you some time and it’s $20 on Steam.

The only complaints I have about Bookworm Adventures 2 are its repetitiveness, the simple visuals (they aren’t too bad though) and the overall easiness of the game and mini games. Oh and the fact that you can’t use naughty words. Other than that, it is a cute humor filled game that successfully combines the R.P.G. and word game genres to good effect. Plus, there are boss battles!

Rating : 7