Chess Crown

Chess Crown exists for people who want to play a good old-fashioned game of chess but with a little extra flair to keep you engaged. Pick your team of good or evil and fight to the end of the line against many enemies in this fantastically rendered game. If you are looking to play a classic that has been revisited to tell a whole new kind of story, play against the computer or against many other players on the network, this is the one you want to keep your eye on.

Gameplay

This game is, for all intents and purposes, a game about chess and chess alone. You pick the light or the dark side and then play against your enemy until one of you wins. The gameplay follows many of the simple rules that you will experience in a normal game but sadly does not have all the complex maneuvers that can be performed in a real game.

Beyond that, there isn’t much else to the gameplay itself. Plot your strategies, make your moves and may the better player win. Like Chess Ultra but with the visuals of Tabletop Simulator, this game brings presentation to a whole new level.

Visuals

So, the visual improvement is, essentially, what this game is all about. Chess games can be as simple as a 2D board with no animated movements to this, masterfully rendered game of kings that has all the flashing lights, bells and whistles that you could ask for.

Take control of your pieces and see their positions and movement options light up, to watch them move across the board. Watch the representative of your army swing their weapon and cut down the enemy piece. A considerable amount of spectacle has been added to this simple game and I find it to be particularly charming.

One of the best bits of the visual upgrade is the environments. The chess board sits between two leaders, and these leaders may be standing in a large valley with dead trees stretching over the board. They may be in a strange watery landscape, as though they stand in the final remaining tower in a sunken castle.

It may not seem like a lot when read, but when you play the game for yourself, you will understand that it adds a surprising amount of depth to the game.

Music

There is a fantastic soundtrack that accompanies this game. From the title screen all the way through the ensuing battle of wits, you will hear the dulcet tones or triumphant horns that accompany your actions. The best part of the music is that you barely notice it. It will be playing subtly in the background, perfectly accenting everything on screen but never overpowering it.

Pros

• Great Visual presentation
• Excellent music

Cons

• Animations could do with some refinement
• A few more backgrounds might have been nice