For four hundred years humanity has lived in darkness in a post-apocalyptic world. For those which survived the new conditions bred them to be quick and brutal, intent on proving their might against each other. Now a new arena has presented itself within which only the best will survive. The age of Insidia has arrived.

Insidia is a turn based strategy game developed by Italian studio Bad Seed. The game is a free to play multiplayer on-line battle arena.

The game is designed to be played as a four on four PvP combat, although there is a practice option which allows you to battle against the games AI. The game contains several options to alter video, audio and graphics quality to make sure that it runs at its best depending on the quality of your setup.

The overall look of the game is colourful with a cartoon look throughout, which makes for a pleasing experience. The game also contains redeemable keys but at the time of writing there was no indication how or what was being redeemed or what you would get, but I’m guessing these are the micro transitions, on balance, they must find a way of monetising the game if they are giving it away for free.

Character design seems to revolve around what looks cool rather than any internalised logic about the world's development, but then for games like this the back story is only a peg on which to hang the game. There is an Overwatch vibe about the look of the game with the use of rich and vibrant colours.

Each of the characters have a few abilities which makes them suitable as either attackers or defender, you can also have some which counter your opponents. This means that you must plan strategically if you are going to win. This in not a game where a tank rush will gain you victory.

The game plan is simplicity itself, once you dominate the middle area of the arena you can then attack your opponent, the overall aim is to destroy power cores which allows you to go forward and destroy their base.

The music is a guitar driven, pounding beat affair and so is really going to be a matter of taste, if you don’t like it you can always turn it off.

It's not bad for a turn-based game, your character's passive and active skills make for the need for active strategic thinking and it's always good to unleash your ultimate.

Ultimately, this is more like a chess match rather than a freer flowing deathmatch. The game's tutorial is particularly strong and while there is a lot to learn the game does well in explaining the whole thing.

Well worth a punt, especially as it's free. It's overall success will live or die on how many players take it up as the focus of the game is online.

6

Charles Packer