First Karak is a game that, due to its accessibility, is primarily suitable for smaller players, although more experienced players may find some enjoyment in it. For veterans who have already completed the dungeons of the mysterious castle, Karak 2 is now here. How it differs from the original game and what it gives you can read in the following paragraphs.
Number of players: 2 – 5
Game time: 45 – 90 min.
Price: 1079 CZK (Albi)
Provided by: Albie
Age: 10+
Karak 2 finally gives you freedom
Do you think Karak Fortress dungeons are too limited? So you will certainly welcome one of the main innovations of Karak 2. Everything takes place outside the throne of the dragon, which guarded territories full of treasures and enemies. However, leaving the underground passages does not mean that this time you will not have to face various dangers. Evil also reigns here and the only ones who can defeat it are the heroes who managed to get rid of the gigantic scale. Thanks to this, you are again given the same group as in the first part, with a few newcomers whose abilities again change the gameplay of this part a little.
If you take into account the promotional character, then you will meet a total of seven characters in Karak 2. Most of the heroes have already done something, but among them you can find a couple of newcomers. Next to the necromancer Xanros or the ranger Lorraine there is, for example, the wild explorer Darius or the brave warrior Elspeth. All participants enter into battle with evil on “horses” corresponding to their specialization and origin. Each of the fighters for good again has a couple of abilities that set them apart from the rest of the group. For example, the witch Tai can see into the future, so when she paints a new piece of landscape, she can choose what she encounters. The exhibition of buildings then costs her less, and the warrior Horan receives raw materials from the places where he is currently located after the battles.
As the presentation by the scientist Taya probably told connoisseurs of the first game, the basic idea of Karak 2 will be very similar to what was presented in the first part. However, instead of corridor pieces, you have map pieces that you use to determine the shape of the game world. Each time you place one of these, you must draw a threat token from the deck. In total, there are eight elemental monsters with different meanings in front of you. For defeating them you will always receive the reward shown on the other side of the token. This way you can get to weapons, spells, amulets, victory points (soul stones) or raw materials. New among the available rewards are amulets, which are an element that increases the characteristics of your characters and, above all, for example, brings them new cubes. However, the heroes of Karak 2 are not alone in the fight against darkness.
This time it won’t work without assembly
If in the first part a group of heroes fought alone against a dragon and various monsters, then in this case they have entire armies at hand. More precisely, the ability to build them. The raw materials mentioned in the previous paragraph serve no purpose other than construction in Karak 2. Each of the heroes this time builds his own city, in which he opens new buildings through construction and subsequently recruits troops through them. In the support forces menu you can find knights, wizards or archers. Each profession has its own building, as well as a price that must always be paid for hiring. Archers need a wooden token, mages need a stone, and knights need food.
The city then serves to increase the number of turns, improve your hero’s mobility, or also increase his fame. Here you increase not only combat, but also construction. What is it actually used for in Karak 2? This is an element that is important when gaining new strength. Few people will go with an unknown hero, but whole crowds will go with a famous warrior. The more fame you have, the more troops you can take on the road, which in practice means that you will get your hands on a larger volume of unit cubes that will later be used in battle.
The goal of the entire quest in Karak 2 is to destroy the Dark General, a character surrounded by minions that increase his total. So there is little chance that you will kill him outright. But as soon as you succeed, the game ends and soul stones are counted, which represent victory points. The player with the highest value automatically wins. Again, there is no particular difficulty here.
It in no way puts its predecessor Karak 2 to shame.
Karak 2, like the first game to represent the brand, is a very accessible work that is definitely worth checking out. If you like games that are easy to learn and offer hours of quality entertainment, this game is definitely an interesting choice. Compared to its predecessor, it moves and contains a number of new interesting mechanics. However, don’t expect anything too complicated here. It’s definitely worth betting on complexity here. But if you liked numbers one and two, you really can’t go wrong.
We would like to thank Czech distributor Albi for providing us with a copy of Karak 2.
Source :Indian TV
