Game Reviews

Voice Fantasy

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Voice Fantasy
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| Voice Fantasy

It's often joked that audio takes a backseat to gameplay when it comes to portable games, but in the case of Voice Fantasy the opposite is true.

An overemphasis on audio results in gameplay being sent to the back of the bus. In what can be described as more a microphone tech demo than serious game, Voice Fantasy involves shouting into your iPhone or iPod touch to generate characters that fight against an array of random creatures.

It's a neat concept that ultimately fails due to a lack of substance.

Speak easy

The goal is to defeat the scary-looking Demon King by creating powerful warriors. Characters are created based on the volume and pitch of your voice.

Raising your voice and speaking loudly into the microphone might yield a female archer, whereas a soft, low voice could result in a male mage. What you say doesn't matter, only how you say it.

After you draft a character with your voice or select from your roster of saved favourites, they're sent into side-scrolling combat against various monsters. Battles play out automatically without any input from you. You just watch. Maybe enjoy a soda as the game plays itself for you.

Empty words

It's annoying for obvious reasons, though even more so due to the computer's poor combat tactics. Often battles that the computer loses could easily be won if direct control was granted. A quick cure spell could carry you to victory, but you end up losing because the computer has full control.

More problematic than the automated battle system is the game's lack of content and features. There's no levelling up, no weapons or armour to equip, no skills or magic to learn, no stages to explore, no achievements to earn, no online leaderboards to climb.

Voice Fantasy is so devoid of gameplay that it's questionable it even deserves to be called a game. When the novelty of toying with your voice to make characters wears off (approximately 2-3 minutes after purchase), what you're left with is a one-dimensional app that doesn't come anywhere close to justifying its price tag.

Voice Fantasy

Voice Fantasy is so shallow and lacking in gameplay, it's mystifying how it passes as a game
Score
Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.