To be totally honest, I’ve never been all that good at RPG games. While I like the idea of going on a huge quest and saving the world, sometimes they’re just too difficult. Or I just can’t focus enough to finish any of them. Either way. Well, despite my lack of experience with RPGs, let’s take a look at Gurk for Android devices. Or Gurk The 8-Bit RPG as it’s called on the Google Play Store. But let’s just call it Gurk. It’s easier that way.

The Basics

Before I get into the game itself, let’s talk about the graphics for a minute. Or a paragraph. Gurk shares the simple 8-bit graphics of many early RPGs like Final Fantasy or, umm, Final Fantasy 2? I don’t know many RPGs from that era to be totally honest. Which is probably why I’m not very good at them. Regardless, the game’s retro graphics really fit into the gameplay. And speaking of the gameplay…

The Gameplay

The basics of Gurk’s gameplay are very reminiscent of other RPGs. You travel around the overworld and randomly encounter enemies. However, the battle system is pretty different from most standard RPG games. You see, most RPGs will simply have you mashing buttons for attacking, using magic, and using items. With Gurk, on the other hand, battles are placed on a grid, almost like a game of chess. You can either choose to move or attack during your turn. Isn’t that how chess works?

Is It Fun?

Gurk is one of those games that really did surprise me. When I first started the game up, I wasn’t expecting very much, especially considering it was a free game. However, there is plenty of charm to this little adventure. The battle system especially really impressed me, adding a real sense of strategy to the classic RPG formula. My only real issue is the overall difficulty, as I found myself constantly overwhelmed by the hordes of enemies. Although, as I made very clear in the opening, I’m just not very good at these kinds of games.

The Bottom Line

If somebody had never played a role playing video game before, Gurk may be a good start. The game is very simple, right down to the presentation. It’s a good way to understand the basics without being overwhelmed with a 900-hour quest where you have to talk to every single villager in each level. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.