My first completed game of 2011 is A World of Keflings by NinjaBee.
For those unaware, Keflings are the name given to small humanoid creatures who inhabit the game world. They’re very much like us humans, with the exception of being extremely small and willing to actively and repetitively complete mundane tasks such as chopping trees and mining rocks. In the game world, your Xbox avatar is a giant, looming over the Keflings and commanding them to build ever more complex structures, allowing the harvesting of more varied resources and perpetuating a cycle of growth.
What sets this title apart from it’s predecessor – A Kingdom for Keflings – is the inclusion of a much more rich storyline – the charming nature of the many characters helps weave an emotionally bonding thread to your progression. Additionally, the addition of two new levels and many resource gathering refinements make this one much less cumbersome. A World of Keflings has no threatening elements, and no time constraints, which allows you to progress at your own pace and know that even if you spend 40 minutes moving your buildings from one side of the map to the other, everything will be okay.
As an Xbox Live Arcade title, A World of Keflings currently costs 800 MS Points, which is definitely good value. I completed my game in just under 6 hours, although I did spend quite a few extra hours helping out a buddy in his game, thanks to an excellently implemented multiplayer mode. There are 200 achievement points, all of which are relatively easy to get by the end of the game.
It’s extremely addictive, and very relaxing.
