Incredible Dracula: Academy of Shadows

[b]Note:[/b] An awesome friend gifted me a copy of this game. ^^ [h1]Welcome to the Academy of Shadows![/h1] [h2]Introduction[/h2] [i]Incredible Dracula: Academy of Shadows[/i] is a time management game developed by Game Mixer and published by Alawar Casual. It is the 11th game in the [i]Incredible Dracula[/i] series. (There are lots of games by now, so it's difficult to keep track. :o) As usual, you play as Count Dracula, and this time, you're invited to be the honorary examiner for the Academy of Shadows, a prestigious school for those with magical powers, and it happens that Dracula graduated from that school. However, before Dracula can even begin to fulfill his role, the students that he's supposed to be supervising have run away, causing chaos and whatnot. Thus, it's up to Dracula, along with his wife Elizabeth and his helpers, to stop the students before the graduation ceremony starts. As for the gameplay, there are the usual 50 main story levels, along with 15 bonus levels that are unlocked after you complete the main story (which makes sense since this is a collector's edition). You can choose from among the usual 3 difficulty levels: relaxed, novice, or expert. …

Good time management game, but it was at a more frantic pace than I prefer. Each level felt like plunging into deep, murky, churning waters, and trying to keep my head above water while I figured out where the exit was. There was a lot to do in each level, but planning ahead was difficult because of the sheer number of interdependent requirements, and I couldn't preview some of the trades I would need to make. Resource management was critical, but I couldn't get myself to stop long enough to keep track of them. There was a lot of reactive resource production rather than preparatory. The levels were abnormally long, like 10+ minutes, which let you get into a groove and become familiar with the map, but I couldn't really tell if I was on-track to beat the level with 3 stars or not. (I recognize all of this discomfort was 100% self-inflicted.) All that being said, I did play through all the regular levels, so it's a good game. If you're looking for a relaxing afternoon of floating down the lazy river, this game is not for you. If you want to get dropped off in a jungle with just a machete to make it back to civilization (slight hyperbole), then this is the game for you!

Fun and challenging.

plain fun