16bit Trader Review


Mmmmm.... Ragu

  • Reviewed by: Mark Goninon
  • Developer: Forever Entertainment
  • Publisher: Forever Entertainment
  • Release Date: 5 Jun 2015
  • Time played: 1 hour (INCOMPLETE)

I've actually played games developed by Forever Entertainment before such as its games from the Frederic series; they didn't rate too badly on this blog probably because I have a soft spot for rhythm games. I eventually purchased 16bit Trader since I found it to be incredibly cheap (I managed to get it for 29 US cents), the game didn't look too bad from the screenshots and it was a game by a developer I know are capable of making good games.

Looks can be deceiving though and that's very much the case for this game - but in a negative way unfortunately.

What I like:


Cartoon art style

I found the art style used by this game appealing; in fact, it's probably one of the main reasons I was attracted to buying the game in the first place.

Cheap

Another reason I bought the game is because it is incredibly cheap. It's standard price is $3 USD but you can easily get it for a matter of cents (like I did) when it goes on sale.

Steam achievements, trading cards and leaderboards

The game is integrated well with Steam so you'll be able to earn Steam achievements and trading cards. You're also able to compete with friends and the public on leaderboards.

What I dislike:


Mobile port

The game is obviously a mobile port which is probably why it's so cheap and has a touch-screen mode. While I don't have anything against mobile games, 16bit Trader fits the stereotype of a game ported from mobile to PC: The game lacks any depth or longevity and involves a lot of clicking to get anything done.

Repetitive, boring gameplay

The entire game involves travelling from one town to another in order to complete quests and trading routes. There is no skill involved with respect to the gameplay and most decisions are based on chance. The only thing you really have control over is where to buy low and sell high, but that in itself is a hit or miss affair.

Repetitive music

I think there's only really one track that plays throughout the entire game and it gets a bit grating on the nerves after awhile.

Spelling and grammatical errors

I've spotted several spelling and grammatical errors in this game and I'm by no means an expert at English. Having said that though, I should probably cut the guys at Forever Entertainment some slack considering English is probably not their first language.

Quest bugs

There were times where a quest told me to go to a particular town but in fact I had to go to another. This not only resulted in wasted time but money as well (as it costs money to travel from town to town).

Game is unforgiving

It's bad enough that you really have to pay attention if you want to make any money through trading (there are different prices for buying and selling goods, not every town buys and sells everything, the profit margins are very small, etc.) but the game is even more unforgiving thanks to random encounters.

Every time you travel between towns, there's a chance you can get ambushed by brigands who end up stealing about half of your gold (at least early on in the game). Hiring mercenaries is meant to help reduce the chance of this happening although it doesn't eliminate the risk altogether (and mercenaries are expensive). Ultimately, the only thing for it is to keep restoring your saved games every time something bad happens, which isn't an ideal way to play if it's the only solution to the problem. Considering you can also lose the game once you have no money left (because remember, it costs money to travel and buy goods) a game that looks deceptively casual, isn't really the case.

Why is it called 16bit Trader?

Why?

Score – 3/10 (Poor)

I honestly expected better from Forever Entertainment as I quite liked their Frederic rhythm games, but despite this mobile port having charming artwork and a low price, there's nothing much else to recommend. The game is repetitive, boring and chance plays a huge part in your success or failure.

Is the game worth $2.99 USD?: No. Okay, it's really cheap and might not be too bad if playing on your phone for a distraction but even at the ridiculously low price of a few dollars, your money is better spent elsewhere since the competition is that strong in the PC indie game market.

If you like this game, you might like…

[ LINK: Official 16bit Trader Review ]

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