Avadon: The Black Fortress HD Review

I play games on my PC/Consoles as well as on my portables such as the iPhone/Android and iPad. Over the last few years, I’ve realized that my portable device works out much better for a quick fix while my desktop and console are for longer sessions. And that, primarily is the reason why Avadon HD, the RPG I am reviewing today, couldn’t manage to impress me. It’s a far more engaging game than I would like from my portable device.

Published by Spiderweb Software Avadon HD is the first chapter in a new, fantasy role-playing adventure. You will serve the keep of Avadon, working as a spy and warrior to fight the enemies of your homeland. As a servant of the Black Fortress, your word is Law.

Like most RPGs, the game starts off with you choosing a character for yourself. However, your choices are limited to the following four- a Blademaster, a Shadowwalker,a Shaman and a Sorceress. The first two are male characters and the last two are females. Following your “character creation” you select a difficulty mode and before the game starts, you are given an idea on amount the narrative- there is lot’s of it.

Once you get past the background story, you find yourself on the Avadon campus and like almost all RPGs, are informed that things aren’t the way they should be. You are also told that you are a “Hand” of RedBerad, the feared guardian of Avadon who also has “Eyes” and “Hearts”

The graphics on Avadon HD aren’t really much to talk about. They look quite a bit dated- as though from a PC games of ten years back. The sound isn’t much to speak about either with average effects for fighting and the bird chirping in the background. You can tell that the game was designed to be played with a mouse, however, the touch controls generally work well with the occasional registering of a tap on a place you didn’t intend to. Luckily, with turn-based combat, that doesn’t turn out to be a frustrating experience.

Where Avadon HD tries to distinguish itself from other games is by being an old-school RPG and if that is something that you are open to trying on your iPad, then you’ll be pretty pleased with it. As I mentioned at the start, I prefer short bursts of quick games on my iPhone or iPad and was thus not to ecstatic about the amount of reading and patience that is required from a game like Avadon HD.

Priced at US$9.99, Avadon HD is strictly for the fans of RPG that are willing to invest a lot more time in one go that your average iPad gamer. And if you are one who is ready to do that, you will probably enjoy Avadon HD much more than I did.