Attention All Literati
I've always had a soft spot for word games, but I guess that's also because I've always been a big fan of the written word. Whether it be William Shakespeare or Michael Crichton, there's just something to be said about the power of literature. And literature is made up of words.
Easily one of the greatest word games to ever grace our family rooms has to be Scrabble, but not all of us have the time or space to deal with all of those tiles. It can also be difficult to find someone to play with sometimes and that's why an electronic version is just so much more convenient. And we're not just talking about regular old Scrabble either, because we're getting treated to Scrabble Plus!
Anyone who has ever been a fan of the classic board game will feel right at home with this new title, but there's plenty of novel innovations to keep you interested for hours on end too.
Four Fun Game Modes
The great thing about this particular offering is that the developers have managed to maintain the same traditional feel that we've come to know and love, but they've added a few extra options to breathe new life into the franchise. You'll still see the traditional game board that you've always seen, but you may be approaching it in a slightly different way.
There are four different game modes in all, each offering a slightly different spin on the Scrabble mechanic. You could opt for Classic Mode if you're feeling nostalgic, but the more adventurous may want to take a look at Golf Mode, Battle Mode, or Wizard Mode instead. Let's have a look at a couple of these.
Aim for the Green
With Golf Mode, the Scrabble Board is ever so slightly transformed into a game on the links. You'll play through a series of 18 holes, just like you would when you pack up to visit the local country club, but you never really leave the familiar Scrabble game board.
There are two variations to the Golf Mode: Match Play and Skins Play. With Match Play, you are shown a single board to play with either your human or CPU-controlled opponent. On this board, you'll see the outline of a green and you have to "aim" your words toward it. You earn points as you've always earned them, but you gain bonus points for hitting the green before your opponent. The person with the most points wins the game.
With Skins Play, you embark on a dual board orientation. Each player gets his or her own board and you must try to reach your green before your opponent does. Points matter, but getting the "skin" is much more important. This is because whoever has the most "skins" after the 18th hole is the winner.
Enter the Battlefield
In Battle Mode, you can choose between Territories or Skirmish. With Territories, you get a similar experience as the Golf Mode, except you are trying to capture highlighted areas on the board. Get there before your opponent to capture the flag. The person with the most territories at the end wins.
The big difference here is the introduction of weapons. You "spend" the points you earn on items like bombs, which destroy the words on your opponent's board, robbing them of those valuable points. You can also call upon the "rain" to distribute "blocker tiles" on your opponent's board. Sabotage and win!
Triple Word Score!
With four fun game modes, a familiar gameplay style, and no fewer than eight different difficulty settings, this is the most complete and comprehensive version of Scrabble to date.
