Console: PC
Date Released: February 29, 2012
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2012
Reviewer: Reid
Pros
* Highly entertaining settings and situations
* Well though-out strategy game
* In-game controls and actions flow seamlessly
Cons
* Short game overall
* Only found value in a few of the XP rewards catalog items
Caveman Craig 2 is a Survival-Strategy game for PC, and was requested for review by Rhys Andrews through the ‘Request A Review’ section on our homepage.
Caveman Craig 2 is another game that is hard to get a feel for without playing. As mainly a console player, I thought this would be a nice change of pace to review a game on PC, so here is a fresh take on this unique title.
Presentation : A
Graphics / Animation / Sound
CC2 really is a beautiful looking game. There are lens flares during sunrise and sunset, terrains such as sand, ice, and snow.It really is an immersive world. CC2 is not a large-scale game, but graphically excels and would look incredible on the iOS or Android.
There is an incredible amount of animation, and there really isn’t a moment when playing the main conquest something isn’t being animated. Even if you are standing still your other cavemen are farting, burping, and scratching their heads while dinosaurs are running around and the sun is setting or rising. Everything looks great.
The sound and sound effects in the game are spot on for what Parabox was trying to do. The sound is light, and not distracting, and when there is danger a warning horn is blown. They do a great job of just letting what is in the game create the sound. Ricky Garcia did the sound track and it really ties in well with the game.
Single Player : A
Game mechanics / Length / difficulty
So since I’m not used to playing these types of games I used the tutorial. It’s really well done and breaks things down to the basic concepts so you can understand the type of ‘Survival Strategy’ this game is trying to create. It’s really a good idea to use, you can exit it any time, and use it as a reference when on your learning curve.
CC2 wants sets your goal by conquering other tribes. This is done by destroying their giant statues and turning them into a statue of you, Caveman Craig (this is done automatically once you destroy the statue). The problem is the other tribes are already large, and you can’t take them on yourself. So to build your tribe you have Hunters, Gatherers, and Preparers. Depending on the level you get a certain number of cavemen to start out with. Once you choose your combination you have to train them. You do this by showing them each what their task is. They watch you do each task (clubbing, throwing rocks, gathering apples, dragging dinosaurs, cutting meat, stomping apples) and once they have watched you enough they immediately start doing that task. Its impressive really to watch because once you start building a huge tribe they are doing their business then dinosaurs start running around and you have to either avoid them or kill them. You are doing all this while trying to take over the other tribes land and preventing them from attacking you. This had to be a complicated game to make. The great thing about all of these mechanics is they are virtually seemless and work extremely well. You also earn XP points to buy extra stuff such as teachers who can train your new cavemen, already trained cavemen, and then all sorts of other interesting things like earthquakes or mammoths, basically anything to help you in your quest. I will admit though, the only things i ever used were trained cavemen and teachers, but the other items are fun to use and can add twists to the game.
The game is fairly short, but mixed in with the conquests are side games you can play for high scores like rock drops or avoiding falling asteroids. These side games are fun but only for a while.
Multiplayer : –
Game mechanics / features / Online features
There is no multiplayer mode in the game, but there is the ability for alternate accounts, which is great. I think this could go in a really interesting direction if it ever was put on Android or iOS, and then gave the ability to play against other people online and try to take over their land. That would be a blast.
Replay Value : A
Lasting appeal / Bonus Content / DLC
I did find myself replaying levels and side games, so the content of the game is attention grabbing enough to keep you playing more than just your first time around. Not really a DLC title in my opinion, but there an insane ton of unlockable items to make you want to play through a few more times. These will change elements to the game play and are pretty fun and exciting.
Though I didn’t know what to expect, Caveman Craig 2 turned out to be a really fun game. This is mainly a Strategy game, so if these type of games annoy you perhaps this isn’t for you. Cavemen will get eaten or killed, so you will have to keep building and keep an eye on a lot of situations. The price point may be a point of contention with some buyers ($9.99), but that is left up to the buyer, and you can play the demo for a taste. All in all in my opinion the game is so well done and has so much going on that it is worth the price, and have no problems recommending the game for strategy lovers, or someone looking for something unique.
Overall : A
