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BerryReview - Cursed Game for BlackBerry - Magmic
Original Review Link: Review: Cursed Game for BlackBerry - Magmic | BerryReview
Rating 8/10
Link: Magmic Games - Cursed
OTA: Magmic Games - Play Anywhere
Cost $7.95 (CAN)



Magmic has released a interesting RPG game for BlackBerry devices. This has to be the first RPG game that I have ever enjoyed on a BlackBerry. Trust me the story of this game is a riot. There is everything from zombies and maidens in distress to black magic on the high seas. The purpose of the game is to kill bad guys (yay!) and release your sweetheart Isabella from the clutches of the big boss. Talk about original. The game has a interesting story line and is quite addictive. The main issue I have with the game is that unlike other Magmic titles you cannot just exit the game and come back to the same point when you start. You must find water wells in the game where you can save you game and return later. This means if your trying to play a quick few minutes between meetings you are going to have to find save spot quickly or else lose all your progress. Now on to the review after the jump.



Installation: The game installs pretty quickly and runs decently fast on newer BlackBerry devices. We did notice speed hickups on older devices such as the 7290. Magmic does offer a trial for the game so try it out on your device before you commit to buy.



First Impressions: The first thing I noticed about the game is that Magmic has listened to their user feedback. I have always complained when Magmic released a new game and the sound was on by default when you first ran the game. They have graciously provided users with an option menu before the game even start to select if they want to mute the sound. You can see a screenshot of this above. The other thing I liked is that in this game Magmic has embraced the trackball as the main control mechanism.



Configuration: The main screen is a very skim menu. In terms of configuration you have sound off or sound on. You can start a new game, load a game, or show the instructions for the game. The instructions are simplistic. You move with the trackball and hack and slash with you sword by pressing in on the trackball. Thats it. There are other controls for trackwheel BlackBerry devices but I wont cover them here. You should note that you will see water wells around town. these wells allow you to save your game. They also refresh your health bar if you throw 5 coins down the well. (Isn't that something every BlackBerry user can relate to, throwing money away)



The Story: Cursed made me laugh quite a few times. You play as a sailor named Ishmael (parody?). Within the first few seconds of starting the game you are confronted with 50 zombies you have to kill. It is impossible to kill them all and you are supposed to die. Talk about a great way to start up the game, dying. You then proceed meet your trusty sidekick. A parrot named Carlo that Ishmael obviously has a love hate relationship with. He actually calls the bird variations of "stupid" more times than he calls him by name. You then meet your maiden in distress Isabella and discover that the whole town has turned into zombies. You get the point. You continue on and save Isabella multiple times and every time she is whisked away before you get a chance to actually save her. After the first few tasks you complete you find out that your arch nemesis is a baddie named kalakama (seriously). And the story continues...

The story line is quite fun and I found it enjoyable. Once again the main gripe you will find is that you cannot arbitrarily save you game whenever you wish. You have to wait to reach a point where the gave provides you with a save point. I have found that you can just leave the game open on the pause screen by hitting the end call button on your BlackBerry. But if you reboot the BlackBerry you will loose your progress. Another issue I had with the game was that I found the amount of clicking required to get through all of the conversation was quite annoying but it is to be expected in an RPG. Other than that the game is quite fun. Below you will see some of my favorite outtakes.



The skeletons



The lovely banter between Carlo the Parrot and (Call me) Ishmael



Ishmael and his damsel in distress Isabella (Mind you that is her mother in the room with them)

Pros:

• Good control system
  
• Fun story line that keeps it coming
  
• Lots of zombies to kill
  
• Practically no learning curve. You pick it up and play.

Cons:

• Lack of autosave ability
  
• No controls other than movement in game

Conclusion: I gave this game a 8 because of originality and because it is a pioneer in the field. I had to dock points because you cannot save the game whenever you wish. Magmic needs to find a way to fix this since most people use their BlackBerry for casual gaming and need to be able to get back to the task at hand at any moment. In short this game is a love it or hate it kind of game. If you are an RPG fan this game will bring your favorite genre alive on your BlackBerry. The story line is addictive and the gameplay is quite fun. Either way with a free trial available why not give it a spin and find out for yourself.