14 DAY TRIAL // RISK is one of the classic boardgames but it had failed to get a solid video game treatment until the launch of RISK: Factions, which was first launched on the Xbox Live Arcade service from Microsoft and is now arriving on Facebook with a number of changes.
Publisher Electronic Arts has managed the impressive feat of remaking the RISK board game concept that Hasbro has created into an experience that it quick, engaging and requires quite a bit of thought on the part of the player.
The player needs to conquer a tactical board, either world based or random, by placing chits, attacking territories, praying for good dice rolls and using a sort of overall strategy.
Players also get a number of special weapons by developing their bases, which need to be powered by weapon tokens, and choosing when to deploy them and where on the map is maybe the biggest tactical challenge that RISK: Factions offers.
The game is clearly made to be played with friends and enemies but computer controlled enemies are quite smart and can make for solid training sessions.
RISK: Factions, as almost all Facebook based titles, places a number of limitations on the player, with the most obvious one being linked to the need for friends to show up daily in order to help with base development.
There are also monetary limitations which can be solved with real world cash, but those seem to pop up later and are mostly linked to those who plan to play highly competitive matches on a regular matches.
There are also some limitations linked to items, similar to those seen in The Sims Online, but again they seem mostly linked to the late game.
RISK: Factions also tries to be humorous and often succeeds but some of the presentation elements, including the repeated sound cues and the bright colors, can drive a jaded gamer like me towards frustration after a few games.