Flash Game Review: Phage Wars 2

It appears that I reviewed Phage Wars (here) a little too late, as I discovered today that Phage Wars 2 has just been released! While I was excited, I was also very nervous to play the game, as Hedgehog Launch 2 had just been released, and I wasn't too pleased (read the review here). However, it's safe to say the Phage Wars 2 is nothing but an improvement.

If you are a fan of the original, than the opening screen might seem a little daunting. The menu is different for one important reason: the game has RPG-like qualities, in that, has you progress through the game, you collect new proteins that you can use to upgrade your virus. As opposed to selecting different viruses from the beginning, you always start with the same virus, and it changes as you decide which proteins to use throughout the game.

For example, the "theF" protein, named after "thief", give +2 Speed, -3 Strength, +2 Agility, and -1 Defense. While that particular protein is very large, there are smaller proteins you can collect in the earlier parts of the game. To be successful, you must use your own combination of proteins, and focus on one of the five skills (Speed, Defense, Agility, Strength, and Reproduction) that best fits your strategy.

There is a total of eight different areas in which to use your virus in battle, each with four "levels". The first two, Culture (light) and Culture (dark) are very similar, only, Culture (dark) has less light (not very noticeable) and each level has a different. These two sections have levels that are identical to the later levels of the original game, but you will see new levels as you progress.

The next two areas are Photophillic and Photophobic; again, Photophobic is the same concept with less light, but each level in each of the areas is unique. These levels are different because they contain cancerous cells. If your virus infects a cancerous cell, then it will have twice the reproduction rate (in that cell only, of course).

Once the previous areas are completed, you move onto Cyanobacteria and Plantae. The added element in each of these is bacteria cells - once these are "conquered" by your virus, it will have twice the strength in that particular cell. This is helpful is you use my personal strategy (see Tips, below), as you will quickly have a very powerful weapon on your hands.

Metazoa (dead) is next, and, once complete, Metazoa (live) is the final step. These two change everything - red blood cells predominate, and each of them grants double speed to your virus. This makes the action fast-paced, and if you're too slow, you'll lose. These sections also contain white blood cells, which grant double defensive powers to your virus. These are great to use if you might be losing, as they act as a sort of "safe haven" for your virus.

While the gameplay remains very much the same (with some new additions), I do appreciate all the other "bonuses" in the game. After each "experiment" (level) is complete, you will recieve a chart showing the success of each virus in the experiment, as well as a comparison of the abilities of each virus involved. You can also see a "heat map", showing where most of the virus was during the level - however, this is quite pointless.

Despite the fact that Phage Wars 2 has just been released, I'm already pondering a third installment. Once you finish the game, you receive an "e-mail" for your success. The e-mail invites you to the "Bonel Prizes" for your success, and includes a nomination. In the e-mail, it says: "There [the Bonel Prizes], you will be up against many individuals, much like yourself, for the honorable Bonel Award." This is a definite hint for a sequel, in which your virus could go up against some of the toughest viruses in the world.

It turns out, my excitement was definitely not in vain. This game is even better than the original. The RPG qualities make it more in-depth than the original, and the changing of levels makes it more intriguing. I truly do hope for a sequel, as this series is one of the best I've ever played. 9/10

Tips:

- Strength is one of the least valuable skills - in the later levels, you are able to take control of bacteria cells that greatly improve your cells. Unless it works with your particular strategy, avoid using proteins that boost strength.

- Agility and Reproduction are two of the best skills in the game. Reproduction especially, as you can use it in combination with the red blood cells in the later levels to build an army with great speed.

- If a level has only a few "special" cells (cancerous, bacteria, red/white blood), use your virus to conquer it as fast as possible; these can provide an upperhand that can mean the difference between losing and winning.

Play Phage Wars 2 here!

Image credit: Armor Games (here). Onlinegamesector (here). (Image from original game).

Flash Game Review: Phage Wars

When it comes to flash games, the "Strategy" genre is one of the most popular. With games such as Gemcraft, Bloons Tower Defense, and Warfare 1917, the Internet really knows how to make an amazing strategy game. But sometimes, it's best to get back to the basics. And that's what has been done in Phage Wars.

The premise is quite ingenious, despite its simplicity. You take control of a virus, the color of which is your choice (each color has different abilities; for example, black is heavy on strength while weak on speed and agility, and yellow is the most evenly balanced), and attempt to wipe out all other viruses on screen. This is done by clicking and dragging on any cell that you currently control, then sending out approximately half of your virus (indicated by a number; you usually start with about 100 on a single cell) onto another.

The key to winning the game is to take control of the biggest cells first - the larger the cell, the faster your virus grows on it. But each cell, before it is under the control of a player or the CPU, has a number. For example, if a large cell has the number 7 on it, you could send 40 of your virus to it, and you would end up sacrificing 7 of your virus to control it (leaving you with a cell containing 33 of your virus).


While I do love the execution of this simple concept, there are a few production problems with the game. When you select a multitude of your cells to send out the virus to "conquer" one of the CPU's cells, the game slows down extensively. This is a major problem, because I personally use this "swarm" tactic many times while playing the game (see Tips, below).

However, despite that major problem, I am very pleased at the highly noticeable difference between your virus types. Unlike some other games, your choice of virus actually makes a major difference in your gameplay. And for that, I give the game an 8/10.

Tips:

- When playing as the white (fastest and weakest) virus, or any other of the "weaker" viruses, use my personal "swarm" tactic. Take control of as many cells as possible, even if each one has a weak amount of your virus. Eventually, your virus will quickly grow into a powerful force, and you can select multiple cells to "swarm" onto each of your opponent's cells.

- For the stronger and slower cells (such as black and purple), "waiting it out" may be very risky, especially if your opponent begins to take control of the cells around you. Take over your opponent's cells early - this is made more effective by sending your virus to a cell that has just sent some of its own virus somewhere else.

- You may find a good place in the middle of those two strategies when using a well-rounded cell, such as green and yellow. Use a mixture of the "swarm" tactic and a direct-hit tactic to win with the "medium" cells.

Play Phage Wars here!

Image credits: bigfuntown.com (here), playtowerdefensegames.com (here).