Review
We have given Talisman the Board Game the number one top spot in our top board games list, so already you can safely assume that this game is good, very good in fact, perhaps brilliant. No better than brilliant it's marvellous, yes that's the word I'm looking for, marvellous. So if you haven't got the time to read this review and want to know whether or not this game is worth buying, then by all means just buy it now because you really won't regret it. For those of you who have perhaps already heard good things about Talisman the Revised 4th Edition Board Game and want to know more please do keep on reading...
Best Board Game of All Time?
The top spot hasn’t been given out to any old board game, or a passing fad even, nor has it been given to one of the tired old classics (you know who you are!). This isn't something that's easily achieved don't forget, as there are plenty of must-buy board games out there, so what is it that makes Talisman the grand champion of the universe? Is it the price? It's not cheap but good for such a large game. Is it the theme of the game? Surely fantasy settings, dragons, swords, warriors, wizards etc don't exactly make a brand new concept do they? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the game is well into its most solid edition thus far: the Revised Forth Edition! Perhaps it's the fact that it still manages to mesmerise audiences some 20 odd years on with its simplistic, addictive game mechanics and hugely expandable settings! Or perhaps it's because it's not about passing go, making words, remembering who won a gold medal at the 1986 Winter Olympics - yet it's still loved by teenagers, kids, mums, dads, girlfriends, gamers and geeks the world over. This is easily our most favourite board game that can be played again and again with new experiences each time it's played.
Maybe I'm not a Board Game Kinda Guy / Girl?
Poppycock! You heard me... In our experience anyone who plays this game will love it. Okay maybe your chavs and your crack dealers are less likely to admit doing anything other than narcotics but everyone else has a soft spot for elves, monster slaying and forest frolicking. This game has the same mass appeal as the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies yet you and your mates / family can all get together, talk and have a few laughs whilst playing the game.
Your Character and The Luck of the Gods
Fight and squabble amongst your mates / rivals to decide who gets to go who (because some are definitely much better than others) or let the gods decide by randomly selecting from the huge stack of witches, warriors, fanatics and erm, idiots ("oh no, not the Priest!"). Some characters have mighty, sometimes silly advantages at the start of the game, some can use two weapons, some can combine their strength and craft (see below), and then some just kinda suck... But gloat and boast all that you will after choosing your most highly favoured champion, as they will do you no good if your stars are out of line, as it is the dreaded dice roll that will determine your fate! Some games you will find yourself slaying every beast and ghoulie that comes your way, collect every strength and craft bonus that has been scattered across the board and deflect every foolhardy attempt from your impetuous opponents. And your victory shall be swift. Should the gods who normally favour you feel poorly that day or tire of your boorish antics you will be on the slippery slope of "it's not fair, what did I do to deserve this?!" and you will have nothing but cowardice and embarrassing defeat to your name. For example you may find you've been turned into a toad for three turns, on more than one occasion, which is bad. There has never been a decent game, be it plugged or unplugged that has achieved legendary status without the tears, the tantrums and random element of bad luck. Don't let the die's all-important presence sway you however, as a good player will find his or her way out a string of poor roles and will still find this game a genuine treat any day.
Strength or Craft
Be you a mighty meat head of brawn? Capable of headbutting your way through a stone wall? Be you a book wormy know-it-all of the magical variety with more spells than a Scottish weather forecast? Or perhaps you be a light-footed ninnymuggins of no particular strength or craft, capable of performing a secret ability that none other can even dream of? Strength and craft play a vital role in Talisman (gold comes in handy too), strength for killing monsters and characters, craft for killing spirits and casting spells (spells can do all sorts of cool stuff). As the game progresses you'll find even the weediest of wizards will be shouting "come on I'll take you all on" and Conan's dumber more inbred cousin will be reading at a 12+ level. Magical artefacts and bonuses will begin to blur the edges of the warrior and wizard, but the final path will require each character to choose the most powerful of the two attributes, before advancing to the final event...
A Land of Fortune and Glory
The board, I mean the Realm of Talisman, is split into 3 very distinct regions of varying difficulty. The Outer Region is where most characters begin their quest, forests, taverns, villages, rivers and sunny skies. Like the Lake District but with less tourists. Venture from the seemingly safe Outer Region into the harsh, unforgiving Middle Region too soon and it will swallow you whole and spit you out like an orange pip, leaving you with no possessions, no strength / craft bonuses and a one way ticket to the choose a new character pile. Harsh. The Middle Region may add strength to the random enemies you encounter, drain your life when you enter the desert and rewards your character much less frequently, so be prepared! The Inner Region is nothing less than a waste ground of torment and doom, eternal suffering, and the final path you must walk to victory. Make your way here too soon and you'll regret it. Roll too high a number and you'll regret it. Roll too low a number and you'll regret it. Say the Lord's name in vain and well you probably won’t regret it but you get the general idea. At the centre of the Inner Region lies a trinket to behold higher than any other shiny thing you'll come across in the game, for it grants the power to win!
The Quest
There is but one quest above all others - to seek out the Crown of Command from the Inner Region! Be sure to have your Talisman before you go or you won't be able to advance. The crown gives you the power to take lives one by one from all remaining characters still lurking about in the other regions (and the Inner Regions too) until there aren't any more lives left to take! If one of your opponents make it to you before they snuff it, they will challenge you to a battle to the death! Once all the other players have popped their clogs you'll become the new ruler of the world of Talisman and eternal glory will be yours! Until the next game.
Artwork, Miniatures and Rules
This is Fantasy Flight Games at its best. Miniatures replace all previous edition's attempt at character markers and they're ready to be painted too if that floats your boat, although it's not essential and look great out the box. The illustrations are beautiful, from the character cards to the board, although fans of the second edition will inevitably miss some of the charm of the less sophisticated but downright hilarious artwork, but they'll soon forget as the Revised 4th is still a much better edition by far. How have Fantasy Flight affected the rules? Well they've done a bang up job I reckon. FFG style games aren't always for everyone, the phase-based turns, overly complex decisions and a heavy reliance on dice roles can at times turn people away from them, but with Talisman they managed to keep it just right. The rules are easy to digest, easy to remember and you can develop the way you play the game to keep it all fresh. Sometimes the game can go on for hours if you're not a regular player but the alternative rules really help to speed things up. Otherwise it may be a case of leaving the board the way it is until you're all ready to play again.
How Much Board Game for your Buck?
In terms of price, if you were to buy this game and all of the expansions (more are on their way as I type this) then you will have spent a fair bit in all honesty. However, you only need to spend 30 odd pounds to begin with and you've already got a whopping great main game of a game (you do get a lot for your money), that alone will keep you occupied for donkeys! The expansions really start to come in handy when you become like us and you've played this game to death and need more depth ("more cards, more characters dammit - look at all this empty table space!"). But seeing as you can buy them at your leisure you can choose between huge games like the Dungeon and the Highland expansions or start with the smaller Reaper and Frostmarch Expansions, whatever suits your pocket. Board games like Middle-Earth Quest, Runewars and Descent are all amazing fantasy board games too but are way above the 35 pound range, so even though they are cheaper when you add it all up, they can't compete with the initial beauty of Talisman! 35 skidoo is well within the average game budget, considering it's a great laugh for a night-in with your mates and perfect for livening up family quality time you can't go wrong really. So why not pick up the family board game that actually does entertain the whole family and find out what you've been missing all this time...?
Already have Talisman and want a board game with the same appeal? Check out Carcassonne, different theme, bags of fun!
by David 05/04/2010
