Aerena: Clash of Champions

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22

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  1. MetaviraVet
    May 8, 2014
    8
    A good addition to the slim turn-based world - if you like it hardcore. Although matches are short and it's pretty easy to get into it's quite a challenge, especially once you hit the more seasoned PvP players.

    The community is very helpful though, and you find matches fast. Graphics and characters are nice as well, looks pretty and polished.
  2. gabzys
    May 16, 2014
    10
    I started to play Aerena - Clash of Champions in early access. When i got Aerena i were really happy and i wasn't disappointed. Gameplay are great, beautiful graphics. Aerena need deep strategic and tactical thinking and this was my main hook, I really like this genre games and it was 1st game after long time i got hooked in. In this game every move matters and every mistake can lose youI started to play Aerena - Clash of Champions in early access. When i got Aerena i were really happy and i wasn't disappointed. Gameplay are great, beautiful graphics. Aerena need deep strategic and tactical thinking and this was my main hook, I really like this genre games and it was 1st game after long time i got hooked in. In this game every move matters and every mistake can lose you game. After most lost games you sit here and think why i done this and not this, i could easily win this game if i moved here. If you are looking for good game where you need to use brains try Aerena - Clash of Champions.… Expand
  3. Schein
    May 22, 2014
    9
    This game is just awesome. I have played this since the last season of early access it was quite unstable then. However with the steam release all the game breaking stuff were gone and now it is just fun to play.
    The Dev-Team are nice and friendly are listening to the feedback we players give. The content is limited at the moment, but with upcoming patches it will expand massively. As a    This game is just awesome. I have played this since the last season of early access it was quite unstable then. However with the steam release all the game breaking stuff were gone and now it is just fun to play.
    The Dev-Team are nice and friendly are listening to the feedback we players give. The content is limited at the moment, but with upcoming patches it will expand massively. As a new player you might find the prices are high and they definitely are, but via level ups and achievements you can earn your second champ quite fast. The first one you can buy right after the tutorial so you will start with 4 into the games vs other players.
    It is balanced in a way that not many competitive games are. You really have unique Champs with faction based lore. And none of them is overpowered.
    The simple design that LD9000 below is stating as a negative is in fact useful as tactical games need easy to understand moves. And the maps are not that unimaginative either.

    And you don't have to play maps you don't like, as there is an hourly rotation to them.

    And another fact that LD9000 got wrong are the numbers of the income after a game. Only if you lost a game you will get slightly less than 100$ but if you win you get up to 125$. As one can see there is not a huge difference so even if you lose all ur games you will be able to buy anything you want.

    As I pointed out earlier there are no OP combinations. But after only 5hours one surely cannot comprehend everything.

    But as it is Free to Play and certainly not P2W why don't YOU try it for yourself.    … Expand
  4. Econael
    Jul 23, 2014
    10
    It's been a while since I've played a turn based strategy game with such depth which is also easy to get into. Playing against people gives me the same shivers which I used to get during SC2 ranked play.
    Aerena has great potential. I just hope enough people play it.
  5. KhiljasKhan
    May 8, 2014
    9
    I have been playing Aerena since it was "Early Access" on Steam. A friend of mine had convinced me to get it - and it totally was worth it.

    I can't remember when I was hooked on a game like this the last time... If you like turn based strategy, you should definitely take a look at Aerena, especially since it's now "Free 2 Play" on Steam. Well, let's get a little bit into more    I have been playing Aerena since it was "Early Access" on Steam. A friend of mine had convinced me to get it - and it totally was worth it.

    I can't remember when I was hooked on a game like this the last time...
    If you like turn based strategy, you should definitely take a look at Aerena, especially since it's now "Free 2 Play" on Steam.

    Well, let's get a little bit into more details why I love this game:
    - It's fast paced (yes, even turn based games can be fast paced)
    - A match does not take the whole day :) (I think that my average match time is approximately 10 minutes)
    - The graphics are very nice(nice bang for my buck)
    - Not another elves hitting orcs game ^^
    - A great variety of tactics - mixing ships, champions and spells (though they call them shells)
    - I find matches really fast ( I don't have to wait for 5 minutes before getting to play)

    What's not so good:
    - I cannot play against a friend right now, though it's promised to be in soon
    - I'd love to play it on my phone too, but there is no global account system at the moment :(

    Well, I just wanted to write the 150 characters, but it got a little bit longer... Now I have to get back to Aerena...

    Cya    … Expand
  6. Evilangel
    May 13, 2014
    8
    Aerena it a turn based strategy game with a aerial battle arena setting. It plays a lot like a board game. Opponents take turns moving one fighter at a time and attempt to take down the enemy's flagship. The gameplay it well layered and starts of fairly easy but ramps up quickly. This makes sure beginners are not scared off by overly difficult and complex combat, while also allowing moreAerena it a turn based strategy game with a aerial battle arena setting. It plays a lot like a board game. Opponents take turns moving one fighter at a time and attempt to take down the enemy's flagship. The gameplay it well layered and starts of fairly easy but ramps up quickly. This makes sure beginners are not scared off by overly difficult and complex combat, while also allowing more seasoned players to advance quickly. My only complaint is that PvP matching is a little messed up. You are usually put up against someone of equal skill, but sometimes you get someone who is just barely in your league and wipe the floor with your face.

    This game is a must play. It's free so if you don't like it, just delete it.    … Expand
  7. KunalV
    May 9, 2014
    8
    I play StarCraft 2, Dota 2, Civ V, X Com etc. And this one is a definite gem. It seems like a very simple grid on which 3 warriors from each side are thrown on in combat. Seems very simple with little to do. It could not be more deceptive. It took me some 6-7 games before I could win a match. So its definitely competitive and there is plenty of QUICK thinking required. A match lasts aboutI play StarCraft 2, Dota 2, Civ V, X Com etc. And this one is a definite gem. It seems like a very simple grid on which 3 warriors from each side are thrown on in combat. Seems very simple with little to do. It could not be more deceptive. It took me some 6-7 games before I could win a match. So its definitely competitive and there is plenty of QUICK thinking required. A match lasts about 10 minute max so that makes it easy to see it through. The game does require a mode where you can match up against a friend. And maybe better animations. But even now the game is tons of fun. Highly recommended.… Expand
  8. LD9000
    May 14, 2014
    5
    Frustrating and mediocre tactical game.

    There isn't much to this game, as after completing tutorial the player is given two choices - fight against AI using the same 3 bots or play versus real players in the arena. Battles consist of moving your heroes on a 7x7 board. Most map designs I've seen are unimaginative - just some obstacle in the middle that splits the map into 2 lanes, about    Frustrating and mediocre tactical game.

    There isn't much to this game, as after completing tutorial the player is given two choices - fight against AI using the same 3 bots or play versus real players in the arena. Battles consist of moving your heroes on a 7x7 board. Most map designs I've seen are unimaginative - just some obstacle in the middle that splits the map into 2 lanes, about 3 tiles each. Heroes can move 2-3 cells, have a certain pattern of attack (1-2 cells away), have fairly similar damage and health. There's a small number of champions (like 8) and maps (like 5).

    This game does look pretty, and it's fun to play until the Pay 2 Win model kicks in. A player starts with 3 good, beginner friendly champions who are available for 10 games or so. After this, the player is given random champions up to 3 total. It is possible to end up with a really gimpy deck. Here the game starts to stink and becomes a super-repetitive grind. Unlike other games, you HAVE to play the same map for several games in a row.

    The game's lack of balance becomes evident very quickly. Knockback is godlike, while everything else, like teleport, self-sacrifice just plain sucks. It seems that a combination of Rouge,Crank and Butcher will dominate games for the next foreseeable future.

    A player earns less than 100 credits per victory, with champions priced at 7200 credits. An average game is 8 minutes or so, that's close to 10 hours of grinding to buy another champion. That's 30 hours of grinding to get champions you want. The game isn't very fun at this point, and I don't see myself grinding for this long. Checking the in-game store, it seems that champions are priced at about 10$, while ships are at 20$. Once again, I don't see enough potential in this game to spend money on it.

    After about 5 hours of being stomped in the ground by OP combinations, I gave up. There's only so little tactics I can pull off with a painfully underpowered deck..

    The only reason this game deserves a 5 is because I like the tactical RPG genre. Maybe future updates will add more content, but in the current state the game has a couple hours of fun before becoming a tedious grind.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. CD-Action
    Aug 25, 2014
    60
    Aerena does not overwhelm you with rich content or impress with technical ingenuity, but it works well in the most crucial area, offering a deep tactical gameplay. [08/2014, p.73]
  2. DarkStation
    Jun 27, 2014
    70
    As a free to play game, ÆRENA is well worth your time if you enjoy turn based strategy games.
    Read full review
  3. Gaming Nexus
    May 12, 2014
    80
    Aerena is perfect for those who love strategy games.
    Read full review