Crescent Moon Games has worked on a number of great RPGs for iOS and Mac. Their newest venture, in conjunction with Stolen Couch Games, is Kids vs. Goblins ($4.99, Mac App Store Link). Previously released on iOS, Kids vs. Goblins follow the story of three children stranded on a magical island with their baby brother after a storm hits. Two Goblins then kidnap the baby brother. After he gets kidnapped, the rest of the kids must find and defeat the leader of the Goblins, the Goblin King.
Gameplay
The presentation and storyline of Kids vs. Goblins is great. I was really into the story and cut scenes. The gameplay is pretty good itself, but I felt like I wanted to get through some of the stages just to see the rest of the storyline. Since this genre isn’t anything new to Crescent Moon Games, you know what to expect here if you’ve played their other RPGs such as Raid Leader.
In Kids vs. Goblins, you control all three kids at once. You can assign spells for each character between stages after you collect stones to pay for these spells. A few of the spells are free, but most of them you have to pay for by collecting stones after you beat the Goblins. Each child has a different set of skills. One of the boys has more power and close range attacks, the other boy is an archer, so you would use him to attack enemies from a distance.
The girl can cast more spells than the boys. She can also heal the two boys and bring them back to life if they die in combat. After you point the characters in the direction you want them to go and the enemies you want them to attack, however, there really isn’t much left to do but sit back and watch as the kids and Goblins attacking one another. I would have liked to see a little more gameplay.
Controls
Considering that Kids vs. Goblins is an action adventure, the controls are pretty simple. To direct one character, you just choose a kid, then click and drag a line across the screen. To move all three characters at once, just double click anywhere on the map. To attack an enemy, you drag a line from the character onto the enemy you want to attack. To cast spells just choose one from any of your characters on the bottom of the screen. It’s a simple control scheme overall.
Sound
The sound and music in the game are quite up to par. I loved listening to the cut scenes and the story lines. They made the game so much more interesting. One addition that would have made it even better would have been voice acting for the kids, but that doesn’t hinder the fact that the sound effects, story, and music are already great. I love the fact that there is an original soundtrack and different themes for every level, which makes for a good change of pace. Since Kids vs. Goblins is somewhat of a long game it’s good to have a different theme so the music won’t be repetitive and drive you crazy.
Conclusion
Overall, Kids vs. Goblins is a great action adventure with a lot to offer. With over 30 missions and 6 different environments including snowy mountains and dark caves, it’s a good change of scenery. Being such a large game, it’s good to see the environments change throughout the duration of gameplay. There are also plenty of spells, over 60 to be precise, that you can unlock between missions.
The great story is what stands out the most, in my opinion. The controls at times aren’t very accurate, however, and the environments and levels of Kids vs. Goblins are a little rough compared to previous RPGs from Crescent Moon Games. The cut scenes do look great though. If you’re looking for a solid action adventure/RPG for Mac with a compelling story, give Kids vs. Goblins a try.
Price: ($4.99, Mac App Store Link)
Rating: 3.5/5[rating:3.5]
Pros:
- Great story and presentation
- Over 30 missions
- Nice original soundtrack
Cons:
- Controls and gameplay options can be somewhat hard to control, but can be more editable
- Might be a bit challenging for someone who plays more casually
