Review Chronicles of Avel: New Adventures
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GOAL
This review assumes you are familiar with the base game; if not, check out our in-depth review of the base game! Here, we'll give you an overview of everything that the New Adventures expansion adds to the game.
GAME DESCRIPTION
First, we're introduced to the Moon Monster, a new boss that can replace the Beast in the final battle. The Moon Monster, unlike the Beast, has some interesting and complex characteristics that make it feel like a worthy boss in the game. For example, in each round he uses a special power that he does not know in advance. Funny twist!
There is also Oberon, a character that appears on the map when you add him to the game. He offers for sale quite powerful equipment, but it is not always easy to get. Gear has a value in coins, trophies (tokens from slain monsters), and/or other gear tokens.
In addition to Oberon, you can add Titania to the map. Titania is another character that can be added to the game and she offers magic perfume help for 2 coins each. Spirits have powerful properties that can only be used once during the game. However, Titania is not the only way to enlist the help of spirits. New monsters have also been added to the game, for defeating which you can get perfume tokens. These monsters are a bit more difficult to defeat, but the reward is definitely worth it! All of the above can be added to the game at will.
You can add new items or create different combinations of them and watch the game change with each combination.
But that's not all! The New Adventures expansion adds 3 new scenarios to the game that can be played either independently or as a shorter campaign of your choice. Each scenario has its own story, its own mechanics and unique rules. You even fight new monsters! You can also add all the aforementioned aspects to these scenarios, making the game even more diverse!
REVIEW
If you already own the base game Chronicles of Abel, you know how beautiful the artwork is and how good the components are. The New Adventures expansion will not disappoint you. It's built to the same standards, the artwork is beautiful and complements the base game perfectly, and the 3D components are great.
It takes some time to assemble the 3D elements for the first time, but it's not too difficult. Once assembled, they fit neatly into the box so you'll have them ready for future games. Having 3D components on the map is definitely an added value and the game looks much better!
When we first received the expansion and saw how many new options appeared in it, we were afraid that it would take much longer to prepare the game and the difficulty would increase significantly. Fortunately, this turned out not to be the case.
You'll need both boxes, we don't think there's a way to fit everything in the original box, but both boxes are so well made that it's not a problem.
The additional rules are as simple as the basic game rules. Each part is clearly separated, so new elements can be introduced one at a time to ease the transition, especially for younger children.
The game itself, as before, is language-independent.
In our opinion, this is a very successful expansion that enhances the capabilities of the base game well. Moon Monster, Titania, and Oberon are good additions that make the game a little harder or easier depending on how you use them. Abel was our son's favorite from the first game, at the age of 7. This expansion only improves the gameplay for him and for us. The 3D components are great and really add something to the gaming experience. If you are a fan of the base game, you will definitely love this expansion!
FOR WHOM?
For all fans of Chronicles of Avel.
