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Exploration can be an adventure when dealing with uncharted territory, though a bit of narcissism can help in the long run. In “The Incredible Baron” The Baron, along with his lackey Smartlee and the Lady Nora, goes on an (mis) adventure to discover new creatures in the name of science. As well as to gather them up in one place and have them beat the crap out of each other in a side-scrolling strategy manner.

the incredible baron kickstarter backers

It´s messages such as this that makes my Gamer heart melt away, pure love!

The sum-up for the gameplay is to research new creatures and send them out to destroy the enemy base. Research points accumulate as you fight certain specimens periodically. The process is a grind on story levels. However, some additional points can be added with the Baron’s flintlock pistol with every kill shot (since The Baron has to analyze his target for vital points). The creatures you unlock come in different colors (used for Strong vs. Weak mechanics) with different stats and abilities so even similar species are different in some manner.

As you progress through the game, The Baron will level up (which increases the coin income rate) and unlock creatures, abilities (such as the aforementioned Flintlock Pistol), and base structures such as the Hatchery (for biological creatures). There are also aids that could help you such as an enemy-color preview window (which helps with strengths and weaknesses) and the Alchemic Shovel to reduce unit and abilities’ costs (which uses coins and energy respectively). You can take on the challenges early in the game which will offer a higher difficulty, a few different creatures to research, and bonus research points are rewarded when completing them. You can always come back to them (as well as the story levels) later if you can’t beat them.

The blue hedgehog may not be the fastest thing alive, but it´s most definitely one of the more useful ones.

The load out screen will give you the opportunity to set up your creatures and abilities while looking at the preview window to see what to expect. There’s limited space within the structures’ load out but you can arrange your creatures and abilities in a certain order to activate when you upgrade in battle. During battle, you send out the units that match up in strong vs. weakness with colors, utilize abilities, and destroy the enemy base. Some stages will have different objectives. Such as stalling for time to escape (there’s an achievement for beating one anyway), and sending an Obsidian Baron to mail a rescue letter to the kidnapped Nora, on a boat sailing in unknown waters, through a post box.

The pixel art in the game has an SNES look to it. Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel an awesome Metal Slug vibe when I look at the cartoonish details of the game. As many of the creatures in the game are pallet swaps with some minor changes, but again, each has different stats and abilities. And it helps that there’s more to say in the encyclopedia (full of The Baron’s narcissism). Besides pallet swaps, there are unique species such as the Robofox and the Obsidian Baron (which was carved in The Baron’s likeness). The cast themselves are pixelated cartoons with entertaining features and animations. Within the small cast, there’s only one pallet swap and that’s reserved for Norab, the rival, for obvious reasons (though The Baron frequently calls him ugly).

Things can get a bit crazy, even with these Red Pandas in the way.

The sound effects have a classic SNES charm to them and blend in really well with the game. Nothing too special but they fit in perfectly. Speaking of perfect the music is some of the best original chiptune soundtracks out there. It covers the basis of the game’s settings: tropical areas, changes in mood, and just adventure in general. And you could easily swap out the music with some other retro game soundtrack, or something softer (so that you don’t get TOO hyped for adventure). The soundtrack is also available as DLC with the game, so that you can listen to it while going on mundane adventures.

Even so, there’s always the Easter Egg Hunt.

The mouse and keyboard are the controls for “The Incredible Baron,” with the mouse for clicking and dragging and the keyboard mapped for units, abilities, and base functions. This is easy to use and very handy when multitasking. The mapping can be thrown off. However, since the game prioritizes creatures to abilities even when the sequence is arranged otherwise.

Pros:
+ “The Incredible Baron ” is a fun side-scrolling strategy game with different units to collect and send out.
+ Colorful cast and upbeat presentation within a hilarious misadventure.
+ Features an encyclopedia filled with unique creature entries and The Baron’s narcissism.
+ The soundtrack is available as DLC.
+ Simple controls that are easy to learn.

Cons:
– Quite a few pallet swaps.
– Creature/Ability priority throws off-key mapping a bit.
– The game tends to be a bit of a grind fest if you´re not prepared for challenges.

Gameplay: 4/5
Graphics: 4.5/5
Sound/Music: 5/5
Controls: 4/5
Replay value: 3.5/5

tgg grade 4 out of 5

Verdict: 4/5
“The Incredible Baron” is a fun and easy to learn game, with an upbeat presentation and hours of gameplay between its story and challenges. While there is a bit of a grind to complete some tasks. It´s just the right amount of fun for veterans who need a vacation from games like “Warhammer”, or people new to the genre who are feeling adventurous.

Title: The Incredible Baron
Developer: FlatRedBall
Format: PC
Genre: Side-Scrolling Strategy
Resolution: Windowed and Fullscreen
Release date: 2016-05-27
Difficulty: Moderate
Spent time: 5+ hours
Average grade internationally: 80.00% Gamerankings.com
PEGI/ESRB age rating: PEGI 7+/Everyone+
Price: $4.99