Better than the PC Game.
Off the bat I just want to say I love how Wizards of the Coast put out new releases simultaneously across their branded products. This board game, which came out around the same time as Module 6 in Neverwinter Online, is actually the fourth iteration of its type as it comes after Strahd, Asharladon and Drizzt. It also is the largest game box now in my collection as it comes with a lot of cool miniatures that would probably be worth painting.
The basic gist of the game follows your band of heroes through missions in a set campaign against the elemental cultists, either in the little town or in the sprawling, randomly generated dungeon(s) (done via the tile stack method) nearby. There is no dungeon master which is also a big plus - instead enemies are controlled by the player that finds them, and each has a set behavior pattern that you simply follow (and honestly, manipulate to your advantage).
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It's pretty cool that as you advance through the campaign you add and remove cards from the standard deck, based on the performance from your previous adventures. Don't make the silly mistake of thinking you'll use them all right off the bat!
Also, do not expect old school D&D. For starters the cleric can barely heal herself, much less the rest of the team. If you take the slow and tactical approach the game will destroy you with random encounters - which aren't really encounters but more like BS events such as being shot at by an unseen sniper or a cave in. Instead you'll need to take the rapid exploration approach to complete the mission as fast as possible which can be quite harrowing as almost every single monster will get the drop on you and always win initiative.
The first few missions in particular will be pretty bad but this is because the game is actually balanced on the level 2 versions of the characters, so once people start advancing the adventure becomes more manageable. All up I've found this to be a decently paced and balanced, very fun game that my group thoroughly enjoys (at least after we got used to the speedy pace). I give it five D20s out of five and highly recommend it! :)
Off the bat I just want to say I love how Wizards of the Coast put out new releases simultaneously across their branded products. This board game, which came out around the same time as Module 6 in Neverwinter Online, is actually the fourth iteration of its type as it comes after Strahd, Asharladon and Drizzt. It also is the largest game box now in my collection as it comes with a lot of cool miniatures that would probably be worth painting.
The basic gist of the game follows your band of heroes through missions in a set campaign against the elemental cultists, either in the little town or in the sprawling, randomly generated dungeon(s) (done via the tile stack method) nearby. There is no dungeon master which is also a big plus - instead enemies are controlled by the player that finds them, and each has a set behavior pattern that you simply follow (and honestly, manipulate to your advantage).
Town missions are a good break from the dungeon!
It's pretty cool that as you advance through the campaign you add and remove cards from the standard deck, based on the performance from your previous adventures. Don't make the silly mistake of thinking you'll use them all right off the bat!
Also, do not expect old school D&D. For starters the cleric can barely heal herself, much less the rest of the team. If you take the slow and tactical approach the game will destroy you with random encounters - which aren't really encounters but more like BS events such as being shot at by an unseen sniper or a cave in. Instead you'll need to take the rapid exploration approach to complete the mission as fast as possible which can be quite harrowing as almost every single monster will get the drop on you and always win initiative.
The first few missions in particular will be pretty bad but this is because the game is actually balanced on the level 2 versions of the characters, so once people start advancing the adventure becomes more manageable. All up I've found this to be a decently paced and balanced, very fun game that my group thoroughly enjoys (at least after we got used to the speedy pace). I give it five D20s out of five and highly recommend it! :)