Massive Chalice
Overview -
Double Fine Productions is where 'Monkey Island' and 'Grim Fandango' developer Tim Schafer has hung his hat since he parted ways with LucasArts in the early 2000s. Double Fine has successfully funded a few Kickstarters, including this one - a tactical, turn-based strategy game called 'Massive Chalice' that raised well over a million dollars in the spring of 2013.
Video Review
'Massive Chalice' has a blocky, crystalline art design that turned out nicely. It doesn’t have dazzling effects, but does have its own pleasant style. The battlefields are colorful, alien worlds with strange landmarks and flora. A pastel or brushed overlay is not uncommon on many textures.
Audio Review
The voice acting is mostly limited to the Chalice itself, which has a disembodied male and female voice that casually bicker with each other and educate the player. Both of these actors are excellent and it is their conversation that imparts Double Fine’s trademark humor and snappy writing. The soundtrack has an alternatingly light, inspiring tone and a deeper military one.
Final Thoughts
Double Fine has produced a good tactical strategy game with 'Massive Chalice'. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but also brings some of its own ideas to the table. It’s not without its faults, but if you can look past those, you may find an engaging strategy experience.
