nmkemp

Alright partner, gather round and listen up; this here review is gonna give yeh the low-down on this here game, Doomtown: Reloaded. Now, before I get to layin’ out the details, I wanna’ address this here tone I’m-a usin’. It might chop yer craw a bit to have to listen to me yammer on in this ol’ west jargon, but it’s somethin’ that needs doin.’ Now, y’all probably know there’s a mighty strong western vibe to Doomtown, but this ain’t just fer show. Embracing that ol’ timey western theme is really important to learnin’ the ins and outs of this here game. Not only is this jargon used when explainin’ the rules, but it’s used perty extensively in the design of the cards and in the different phases of play. So if yeh feel a bit outta’ sorts, it’s best yeh get over that sooner than later, ‘cause yer gonna have to embrace it if yeh wanna enjoy yer time in Gomorra.

First things first, Doomtown ain’t for the faint of heart. It ain’t no picnic. If yeh wanna really get to know this game, and get good at it, then yeh gotta put in the time. It’s gonna take quite a few playthroughs to really get the gist of what yer tryin’ to accomplish, let alone become the talk of the town. Doomtown comes with two basic rule books. One of em walks through the rules of play, outlinin’ the different card types, and layin’ out the law. It strays away from this here western jargon, so yeh can get to learnin’ more quickly. But I figure yeh can do that on yer own, that ain’t what a review is for. The other set of rules makes use of them two rigged decks you’ll find if yeh root around a bit in yer box. These second set of rules walks yeh through the first stages of the game in mighty strong detail, makin’ it easier for yeh to learn the ways of the weird west, as we call it in these parts. I highly recommend yeh make use of these two rule sets. Doin’ so should give yeh a perty good grasp of what needs to be done in order to wrest control of the town from the varmints yer up against.

Speakin’ of them varmints, let’s take a look at the different outfits lookin’ to take control of ol’ Gomorra. There’re four main factions, each tryin’ to outwit the others. There’s the Law Dogs, yer basic good-guy, law-abidin’ folks. Next, yeh have the Sloan Gang, a pack of miscreants and outlaws lookin’ to get their revenge on civilized society. Third, yeh’ve got the Morgan Cattle Company, for yeh business-minded folks. Finally, there’s a mighty strange circus in town called The Fourth Ring. These’re some odd folks who dabble in black magic. Oh yeah, hadn’t yeh heard? Doomtown is set in an alternate reality which allows for folks usin’ magic and other strange oddities.

Now the whole goal of Doomtown is to undermine yer opponents by wrestlin’ more control from them than they have influence over you. Let’s break that down a bit. Play progresses through a series of days, with a series of tasks yeh gotta’ attend to each day. Remember, the goal is to get the most control. Control is determined by the different Deeds that’re put up around town. Each new Deed is a new area to control. In order to wrest control of these deeds, yer gonna’ need some Dudes. The Dudes not only help yeh get the control yeh need, they also up yer influence. Each Dude and each Deed has a certain value of control or influence assigned to it. It ain’t rocket science to figure out yeh need to control the Deeds to win the game. Either that, or yeh need to off the other players’ Dudes in order to take their influence down a notch or two. Either option could do the trick, it’s yer task to figure out which method fit’s yer style.

Whether yer sendin’ yer Dudes to sit around in other folks hangouts, or to cause some trouble, it’s most likely gonna’ end in a Shoot-Out. This is where things get interestin.’ Yeh’ll have noticed that yer cards not only have information regardin’ their use in the game, but each one has a poker value—yeh know, them diamonds and hearts and whatnot, with a little number or letter next to ‘em. The Shoot-Out is where them poker cards come in handy. When a Shoot-Out happens, the locals clear out and the folks doin’ the shootin’ form up into Posses. Then the talkin’s over, and it’s time to draw. The outcome is determined by drawin’ cards from yer deck and rustlin’ up the best Poker hand yeh can, hopin’ it’s better than yer opponent’s hand. Now the question is are yeh gonna’ play an honest game, or are yeh gonna’ hide an ace or two up yer sleeve and slip it into yer hand. That’s right, yeh could cheat, and cheatin’ might win yeh the game. ‘Course, yeh might face the consequences of cheatin’ if yer opponent has the skills to make yeh pay for it. Or maybe they got nothing,’ and yeh get away clean. Whatever the case, the highest hand wins, which could get real nasty for the loser. After winnin’ enough of these Shoot-Outs, yeh might just have enough power to wrest control of Gomorra for good!

As I said, Doomtown ain’t no walk in the park. That there was a perty basic run-down. It takes time and patience if yeh really wanna’ understand what’s goin’ on. It’s perty dang intricate, in fact. Yeh’ll need to experiment with yer deck, and figure out the different factions and card combinations that work best for you. If yeh take the time to do this, Doomtown can be a mighty excitin’ time. It’s a game that requires cunnin’ and strategy. Its ol’-west theme is represented in the art style, game design, and game mechanics. At first it may seem a tad gimmicky, probably like this here review, but as yeh get more accustomed to it, it grows on yeh. What’s more, gettin’ the hang of the theme helps folks get the hang of the game overall. Despite its complexity, Doomtown is a mighty fine game, and one that any real gameslinger will add to their collection.