Lightseekers Awakening is a toys-to-life adventure role playing game. The augmented reality is powered by a proprietary technology platform that integrates video games, smart action figures with artificial intelligence includes accessories, trading cards and more – all compatible with the free Lightseekers app (App Store, Google Play and Amazon).
Did you know that they are also tipped to be one of the hottest Toys for Christmas 2017, which is easy to see why. Both of my children were instantly drawn to this awesome looking action smart figure, Kora the Mari. She is an unusual looking 7” tall figure that you can use to play in the game.
This was my children’s first time seeing this game from PlayFusion and they were very excited with it. They love playing games on their iPad and also love collecting trading cards. We have received the Mari starter pack and Storm starter deck.
Let’s start with the trading card game. The trading card game is a turn based strategy game for two or more players. It is like other trading card games like Pokémon, Yu Gi Oh and Skylanders Battlecast, where players have to build up a collection of cards over time, usually starting with a starter deck.
The starter deck comes with 45 augmented reality trading cards, deck storage box and playmat. This can played without the playmat but it will be useful for beginners.
This video explains the basic gameplay: https://youtu.be/DP68e7PjmPA
To play this card game, each player takes control of a hero who uses an arsenal of cards, featuring spells, creatures, items, and locations, to defeat their opponents. The heroes of the game use a specific branch or subset of the magical energy, which is referred to as an ‘Order’. There are six known Orders that equate to six different playstyles. Each Order contains three ‘Elements’ that generally break down the gameplay to a specific style; aggressive, defensive or utility-based. It might seem complicated but once you get used to it, you will understand how to play your cards wisely. We made many mistakes initially as we were learning to play it but it was easy to learn from them.
Both my children prefer to collect the trading cards than physically play with them. Ms C finds the rules too hard for her to understand and it is a little bit beyond her abilities. This is suitable for aged eight and above and obviously this is not Ms C’s cup of tea but she does like the game app.
The cards can also be scan for augmented reality effects, rewards and in-game abilities. Each card unlocks bonus features in the digital app, has a unique pattern of dots and can only be claimed once. Ms C loves that the card backs have a special effect that catches the light and looks very pretty.
As for the app, once you download it, you can start playing the game or pair up with your hero. We have the Mari starter kit which includes Kora, fusioncore, USB cable, weapon and cards.
I did charge the fusioncore using a USB cable via computer before we played the game. You can play for hours on a single charge. The fusioncore is compatible with all Lightseekers smart action figures and it updates wirelessly over-the-air, allowing regular upgrades and awesome new features and functionality over time.
It didn’t take me long to synchronise the tablet to the figure and you are ready to play. Initially Mr K struggled to work out how to use Kora as a game controller but within a minute or two, he became very confident of physically positioning Kora to fight.
What I like about this game is that it does not require a portal unlike Skylanders and also the figure is your game controller. What a great concept!
The figure delivers 2-way interaction between your hero and the game. The figure can talk, vibrate, and use different coloured lights to show levels, status, warn of impending danger and help guide gameplay. You can also add interchangeable weapons that level up as you play (each sold separately).
The game is set in a world full of magic and mystery. After centuries of peace, the balance is now threatened by the return of the evil Umbron, whose presence foreshadows even greater danger. The visual effects and graphics look are excellent throughout.
Overall this is a great game to keep children entertained. We love that the figure is not only good for display, it is also your game controller. I can see why this will be one of the hottest toys for Christmas as the figure is quite unique. For more information, please visit https://www.lightseekers.com/
Disclosure: We received the samples for the purposes of writing this review, however all thoughts and opinions remain our own.