A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…they preferred to play sabacc. If you want to play Star War Unlimited, you’ll have to stay right where you are, and what better place to start than Hoth! Honestly, I like everything Star Wars, but Hoth will always hold a special place in my heart, it was the most interesting location in the original trilogy. The snow, Tauntauns, Wampa, probe droid, giant EMP cannon, airspeeders, and of course, the AT-ATs. I was thrilled. So it’s the ideal place for me to start my journey into Star Wars Unlimited. Let me see if I recommend it’s where you start too!
What’s inside?
What’s inside is kind of straight to the point. There is a gamemat with lots of helpful information on it, and then a big stop sign telling you to not go any further and to load up a video on youtube from a QR code. This isn’t always to people’s taste, and to the game's credit it does also contain a rulebook and reference cards. However, one of the key things about this box is it’s a guided experience. They teach you through playing the pre-organised decks (don’t shuffle them) in the way the app tells you too. Letting you get to grips with the game quicker before you can dive in and play your own game solo.
Does it teach you to play?
Yes, although your mileage may vary. The video is well made and useful for those who prefer to learn that way. While it doesn’t provide the kind of interactive experience you can get from being taught in person, it is the next best thing, and a big step up from reading the rulebook cover to cover. Not something most people enjoy. The video isn’t perfect, it’s a little fast at times and you have to pause (although they might expect you to do this, but if so, they should say). When testing we discovered a flaw which could derail the later rounds of the video if you are unlucky in what card you pick as a resource. The resources explanation in general could have been a bit clearer, but we got the idea.
I’m glad they have the video as an option, and by the end of the tutorial, after rolling back and checking a few points, we got the gist of how to play and could carry on with the included decks. For any more specific questions the rulebook has you covered. Hoth being an iconic battle is a good place to start, and the two sides are different enough in their approach to give you a taste of the different tactics you can employ in the game.
That is the way of things...the way of the Force
I like what they have done with this set. The video is a nice touch and makes the game stand out in a crowded space when it comes to ease of picking it up and playing for the first time. While I imagine it gets a lot more in depth as you expand your collection, the essence of the game is taught well through this guided introduction experience. I’ve played a few similar games so am familiar with many of the concepts, but my partner hasn’t so this was new to her. Nevertheless we ended up playing the game without issue and had a good time. An advanced tutorial as a next step as your collection expands would also be useful.
So would I recommend this as a good place to start your journey into Star Wars Unlimited? Yes I would.
Scores:
Score: 80/100
Artwork: 4
Complexity: 3
Replayability: 4
Player interaction: 4
Component quality: 4
Likes:
- Great theme for an introductory set
- Well made tutorial video
Dislikes:
- Guided video might not be for everyone
- Not for experience players and cards are intentionally underpowered
