Massive Chalice Review

Massive Chalice is the latest entry from the develops Double Fine; whom we've known to make some very unique and entertaining games. This one is like XCOM and the Sims had a badass child and decided add in some gods and a literal Massive Chalice for flavor.

Pros:
+ Create unique lineages
+ Various class types
+ Relic Weapons
+ Aging System
+ Random Encounters
+ Enjoyable art style
+ Good Challenge
+ Unique Personality Traits
+ Fertility System
+ Variety of Enemies
+ RPG Elements

Cons:
- Permadeath
- Certain enemies can make or break your team

Massive Chalice is a nice refreshing take on the RTS style game with its unique 300 year world story and it's vibrant art style. It gives you a nice palette to gaze upon when you're in the midst of protecting your land from the invading enemies known as the Cadence. The game plays well and has a relatively small learning curve, especially if you've played games such as Shadowrun Returns or XCOM. It does offer many hours of strategic game-play from navigation through the Fog of War, the environmental hazards, and the enemies you encounter. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who's curious and for those who have an Xbox One, it's free for the month of June, so why not give it a go.

Now to begin the breakdown:

PROS:

+Create Unique Lineages: In this game, to begin your story (after the prologue/tutorial mission) you have to choose two of your warriors to become the Regent (Ruler) and Partner (Spouse). I use the term "spouse" because they do allow same-sex marriages in game, just that they can't produce children naturally, but you can adopt children for them to raise. So either way it can be a Win-Win scenario.

+Various Class types: There are a good number of class archetypes that you play as in Massive Chalice (9 to be exact).You have your three basic classes, Caberjack (melee class), Hunter (ranged class), Alchemist (melee/ranged/thrower hybrid class). Then you have hybrids that can be unlocked through having two of three classes mating and creating a baby of the new class.

+Aging System: I have yet to come across many games that have your characters age (except Fable). In this game when your character ages through different "stages" in life certain stats are increased while others are decreased. When a character is born they actually age along your timeline and once they reach the age of 15 they can begin to fight. Some of your heroes can live and die either late in life or early in life, depending on traits gained from bloodline and randomness as well. Also once a character dies of old age and they were a valiant fighter the can leave behind a relic for their lineage to utilize.

+Relic Weapons: These gems are truly unique to the game for they can ONLY be created/discovered when one of your great fighters dies and leaves behind their legacy in the form of a really awesome weapon. These weapons have higher stats and  can only be given to a member of the lineage, and once all members of that lineage die, the weapon is placed in a tomb and is no longer able to be used ever again in the game.

+Random Encounters: I call these encounters side missions just for ease of understanding, but that's incorrect to call them. Random encounters are exactly as they sound, they happen randomly while moving through your timeline. Upon triggering one you can either choose to quell your curiosity or you could decide to ignore it all together. There's a very big Risk/Reward at play when you come across these. Sadly for me, all of my encounters have ended in disasters.

+Art Style: The style of the game is very nice and basic. The geometry on the terrain isn't over done, but the style of the characters are very quite unique in of itself. I personally enjoy looking at the terrain while I have my characters move around it, which has resulted in me having some unfortunate blunders.

+Good Challenge: This game even on "Normal" gives you a good challenge in which the weight of each of your moves could either make or break the dynamic of your team. Your moves are permanent (like most RTS) so you must be very cautious and calculating because once you commit, that's it.

+Personality Traits: These traits are random to adults you can save or children you adopt. As for the children you produce, the traits of the Regents' Bloodline comes from the parents. So there's a good chance to get those good stats, but also be weary that you will also get some negative stats as well. They have to keep it balanced, so you can't become an overpowered killing machine until you die at the ripe age of 81 (though it is possible, I had one character do that and dropped me my a beastly Relic Weapon, he shall be missed *tear tear*).

+Fertility System: Now when you're trying to make babies in this game, there's a fertility system in place to let you know how "likely" a couple is to produce a new child. There's varying levels from Very High to Infertile. This will greatly affect your lineage's ability to survive, because once that lineage ends, that's the end of that line and you must create a new one.

+Enemies: There are a good variety of enemies that each have their own unique perks. Lapses when they hit steal 150 exp per hit AND they can delevel your character if you're hit enough times. Wrinklers have the ability to age your heroes by 5 years per hit; Cradles spawn Seeds (the basic enemy in the game) per turn and spawns 3 more when they're killed.

+RPG Elements: The game does have a RPG system in place where your character levels once you hit the level cap and as you level you do unlock skills that help make your heroes more versatile and powerful.

CONS:

-Permadeath: I put this on the con list because I hate when I lose my highly favored badass to age or a mistake that I made while out in the field, and when they die all I can do is look at their bodies lying on the unforgiving ground, never to be able to fight again.

-Enemies: This also falls on the cons because of the Lapses. These enemies when you encounter a large number of them, can truly destroy your team because if they hit you enough times, not only do they damage your heroes, but the experience steal is also even more harsh than any other enemy in the game. I'm not asking for a nerf on them, just that they can be very damaging to a team that just leveled up.