"Pascal's bet doesn't quite match the impressive standards of his inspiration, but Dark Souls fans should check it out."
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Excellent level design
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Characters offer unique play styles
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Creative enemy design
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Sanity System is a fun twist
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Great bosses
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Boss is too difficult
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Requires controller for best experience
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Messy story with bad acting
The developer FromSoftware developed Dark Souls, probably the most influential game of the past decade. This game and its sequels encountered waves of imitators, which we have collectively referred to as "soul likes", but so far they have been limited to consoles and PCs.
Creating such a challenging and complex game on a mobile platform seems like an impossible task, but TipsWorks tries Pascal's bet. It's not too original, but it does have a few tricks up its sleeve.
Story: Talk to me. Or not.
Contrary to the vague narrative that is often standard in FromSoftware games, TipsWorks in Pascals Wager offers more direct storytelling. It highlights the game's AAA-like production values, but also shows how effective the less direct approach can be.
In a world full of darkness after the disappearance of the creatures called "Colossi", the game is playing Terrence, a courier who is looking for his wife, who was apparently seduced by the darkness. During his trip, he is accompanied by a trio of other adventurers. the gunslinger Viola, the coffin-swinging Norwood and the nun Benita. All three have an ulterior motive, while Terrence is more direct and transparent.
There are a few clever twists in Pascal's bet, but almost every stroke is affected by terrible writing and speech. Characters sometimes don't seem to know what emotions to feel, alternately screaming and whispering loudly.
It can be strange. For example, people known as "Marcians" are often pronounced "Martians" and a few lines randomly display subtitles in Chinese. It would have been more compelling to let the players fill in the gaps and give them atmosphere and light contextual information.
Gameplay: Yes, it lasts.
Enough players have skipped the film sequences in Dark Souls over the years to know that the story in these games is secondary. If you take this view, you will be satisfied with Pascal's bet.
The fight is almost entirely like other games in the genre, with an arsenal of light and heavy attacks, evasive action, back stabbing, finishing moves and parades. Pascal's bet also has a "rage" measurement, which increases when you land a hit, and which can then be used to trigger special attacks. It adds a nuance and strategy to battles, especially when you're trying to reduce your enemy's stamina to get them to get rid of them.
What sets Pascal's bet apart from other soul likes is the character change system. With a few exceptions, you will be sent to battle with Terrence and a companion. You can swap whenever you are not in combat. If one dies, switch to the other instead of returning to the next checkpoint.
Due to their different fighting styles, this can mean that the techniques differ in the middle of the fighting. Terrence is a mediocre character with average defense, speed, and attack power, while Viola and Benita are both mushy but can do enormous damage. Meanwhile, Norwood can cause relatively high damage, but is slow, which makes him responsible for certain encounters.
If you prefer one of them to another, you can keep it in your squad forever. In my case, I found Benita most effective because it can heal itself without using restricted potions.
If you are familiar with the animation-based battle of Dark Souls or Bloodborne, Pascal's bet is the place for you. Once you launch an attack, this animation will play until you hit or damage an enemy. This means that you have to be extremely careful when hitting.
Enemies are unforgiving, especially in groups, and they often hide in unsuspecting places as you navigate through the game's open environments.
Don't play without a controller
If you face the game's tougher opponents, you'll understand one of the game's main suggestions: play with a controller.
By default, Pascals Wager uses a virtual stick and buttons to do everything. Even if this is possible in Fortnite, you will go crazy here. Fortunately, iOS 13 has added support for Xbox One and PS4 controllers. In combination with a controller mount, you can play with a more recognizable layout. If you request this, the purpose of putting the game on the phone first will be somewhat negated, but there is no better solution.
As is common in this genre, Pascals Wager offers numerous doors, lifts and gates that you have to unlock from one side before they can be used on the other. The game clearly mimics the design of FromSoftware and makes it absolutely clear.
Every time you explore an area, you feel that you have made significant progress.
Every time you explore an area and discover a link to a checkpoint, you feel that you have made significant progress. At this point you can redeem your "bones" for upgrades. This is both experience and currency. Unlike the Dark Souls games, you only lose a fraction of your bones when you die instead of all.
This can make death less frustrating and allow you to improve yourself in difficult areas. At the checkpoints – the game calls them altars – you can also equip special equipment that improves certain statistics, replenishes consumables, and distributes skill points to your current characters.
Difficulty: It's going to be insane
One of the consumables is a reason elixir, which is vital for one of Pascal & # 39; s Wager's most unique mechanics. If you damage enemies, you will gradually lose your "sanity" that appears next to your health bar. If it falls into the "abnormal" area, you will get a slight health impairment, and if it is completely lowered, you will enter a "crazy" state.
This is bad. Enemies become much more difficult and even get new moves. It's annoying to deal with at first, but managing your sanity through potions becomes a crucial part of struggles.
Boss fights are by far the most dangerous time to lose your mind. Challenging, but (largely) fair, these are the best moments of the game and show an unexpected level of creativity. They range from horse magicians to Lovecraftian brain monsters with sprouted tentacles, all of which require their own strategy.
After a few tries, you will learn their movements and can better estimate when to attack. The battles in the late game offer a great mix of difficulty and spectacle. After death, you always have a short run back to the battlefield to try again so that you don't forget anything that happened in the last fight.
The jump in difficulty from the penultimate boss to the last fight is ridiculous.
The delicate balance between challenge and frustration is present in almost every fight except the final boss. Yes. I couldn't beat it.
Despite hours of trying, the game's somewhat tricky camera and three-phase format of combat make it almost impossible. Yes, the final boss should always be the hardest, but the jump in difficulty from the penultimate boss to the final fight is ridiculous and slows down the breakneck pace of the game.
At the beginning of the game there is the possibility to reduce the level of difficulty with an Easter egg. However, if only one boss is the problem, this is not a good solution.
Our opinion
Although Pascals Wager goes overboard his boss and is a ridiculous story, he's an impressive action game. Translating this hardcore genre to phones and tablets is not easy. The reasoning system and several playable characters make the game of TipsWorks worthwhile even for those who normally do not like mobile gaming.
Is there a better alternative?
Not on mobile devices. Dark Souls games are undoubtedly superior on console and PC.
Do you want more iOS options? Check out our favorite iPhone games.
How long it will take?
According to TipsWorks, the game lasts between 10 and 20 hours. We found it closer to the latter.
Should you buy it
Yes, provided you have a controller and holder for your phone.
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