Facebook Media GaMes, clash oF the titans, the serial killer trivia GaMe, vaMpire saGa: pandora’s box
HORROR GAMING ON FACEBOOK Social networks are here to stay, and these days, so-
cial network gaming is big business – just look at the hundreds of thousands of users who play Farmville and Mafia Wars, spending real-life dollars to buy additional in-game items. But what’s out there for horror fans who have little interest in raising livestock or avenging crime family vendettas? Rue Morgue takes stock of some of the most popular genre games on Facebook.
VAMPIRE WARS Yes, Zynga, the company behind the mega-popular Far- mville and Mafia Wars also has something for horror fans. Vampire Wars is essentially a point-and-click, text and static image-based game in which you create a vampire avatar, embark on grim missions, level your character, dominate minions, fight other players’ blood- suckers, play mini-games – and that’s about it. It boasts the same kind of repetitive gameplay as Zynga’s other titles... if you’re into that sort of thing. Now, switch out vampires with zombie hunters, and you’ve got Zombie Slayer (Kano/App). Click on infestations on the map and kill rotters via a point-and-click system and many of the same mechanics as Vampire Wars. Other games of this ilk: Zombie Wars, BiteFight, Ghost Trappers (a Scotland- set, image heavy, ghost-hunting variation on the theme) and the Vampires/Zombies/Slayers/Werewolves series.
CITY OF ETERNALS Still in its beta phase (a.k.a. being tweaked), City of Eter- nals seeks to blend the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) with social networking. As a result, out of all the games on this page, it’s the most advanced conceptually, as well as gameplay-wise, though there is still definite room for improvement graphically. Taking its cues from outside of the social network stratosphere, from games such as World of Warcraft, City of Eternals has you choose a house (a.k.a. alignment), then it allows you to explore the world, tak- ing on missions, fighting monsters (including zombies and werewolves), and harvesting useful items along the way. Though still a little rough around the edges, this is best described as social network gaming 2.0
BACKYARD MONSTERS Steel yourself for a tower defense-style game in which you play a monster in charge of building up your back- yard town and fortress, then defend it from a variety of creepy creatures and other players who come a-callin’
RM122
Social Media Monsters: (clockwise from top) A combat screen from Bite Me, and screenshots from Zombie Slayer, Backyard Monsters and City of Eternals.
with their invasion forces. Like almost all Face- book games, it works on a time-based energy recharge system, meaning you can only build and harvest for so long before you’re out of en- ergy and have to come back later, so some con- struction strategy is required.
BITE ME If you can get past its terribly cutesy graphics (probably meant to attract tween-age Twilight fans), Bite Me is actually a bit addictive. In short, you collect and level up thralls (a.k.a. revenants) by playing a retro arcade-style mini-game that involves amassing red blood cells while disposing of harmful white ones. You then use your thralls and special attack maneuvers (which can be purchased or won in fights) to combat against werewolves, zombies and other creatures in order to level up your bloodsucker. That said, no new con- tent has been added in months, so you’re
likely to peak out at level twenty, grow bored and move on.
ZOMBIE PETS If you’re unfamiliar with Facebook games, it should be noted that they all have an element of “annoy-ware” built in, meaning they want to post constant updates to your friends’ walls – luckily, you can skip this nasty business and still play the games. Zombie Pets, however, has a second annoying element: the need to come back at specific times or lose valuable game materials. Here, you run a “zombie farm” grow- ing undead animals and plants to sell for bucks and bonus spells. But like those pocket Tam- agotchi toys of yesteryear, if you don’t feed your critters on a regular basis, they die, and if you don’t come back regularly, your in-game friends can steal ’em, so the commitment level here is pretty high. For Facebook addicts only. MONICA S. KUEBLER
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128