Like your combat thrilling and nerve-racking? This Diablo-esque hack-and-slash loot-fest throws tons of enemies at you every step of the way, leaving you with the constant threat of being overwhelmed — and a definite rush when you emerge victorious, the bodies of dozens of dead beasts and dwarven brutes laying at your feet.
Contrived storytelling and cheesy voicework melt away once you set off on the violent trek to carve up foes across four elemental-themed kingdoms. Despite their generic vibe, a trio of wizard, warrior, and rogue classes deliver a decent variety of strategic options to tinker with on the battlefield. Burly warriors can dish out and take a real beating, for example, while wizards excel at flinging spells from afar but snap like toothpicks in close-quarters brawls. Each class also gets a lot more exciting to play as you level-up and unlock special abilities (summoning tornados, stealth invisibility) from a robust skill tree. It's this slow-and-steady growth, coupled with the potent lure of hunting down more powerful loot, that'll keep you pushing deeper into this vast fantasy world.
While going solo is a fun uphill challenge, Realms really hits its stride in local co-op, where you can tag-team different class pairings to capitalize on their strengths and deliver a much more massive beatdown. Staying alive is also a little easier as a duo, thanks to a more lenient respawning system that resurrects your fallen hero if a comrade is still alive.
It’s not the most spirited or original game, but Realms’ raw intensity and chaotic excitement will keep you playing.
Being swarmed by 30-or-more baddies at once is pretty common.PUBLISHER: Focus Home Interactive • DEVELOPER: WizarBox • ESRB: Mature • MULTIPLAYER: 2 in local-only co-op • ACHIEVEMENTS: Moderate • COST: 1,200 Microsoft Points ($15) • RELEASE DATE: September 19, 2012
+ Intense combat punctuated by huge swarms of foes.
+ Strong local co-op makes brawling alongside pals a lot of fun.
– Classes feel pretty generic until you unlock their more powerful skill perks.
? What makes dwarves such a battle-ready lot?
