Monopoly has been a very popular board game for more than 90 years now. And Monopoly’s video-game variants number in the dozens.
In that light, Ubisoft has a new variant that it thinks might spice up your casual gaming fun, especially if Monopoly and Star Wars both make you grin. It’s called Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains. Just don’t go in expecting a whole lot of property trading and financial bargaining. This one’s different.
The first thing I should note is that Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains doesn’t offer any “classic rules play.” In other words, you won’t simply be playing the regular game and buying properties with such names as “Jar Jar Boulevard” or “Obi-Wan Gardens.” Nope, this game is more of a strategic planet-and-power-gathering game that lets heroes and villains face off in multiplayer competition … only on a Monopoly-style board.
Heroes vs. Villains allows you to play solo with AI-controlled teammates and opponents, but it’s designed for live-action, team-based matches of two-versus-two or three-versus-three, played locally or online. So strategic communication between teammates is important.
Game-wise, it’s all about rolling dice, circling the board and claiming planet properties with your team’s pool of cash. Buying houses and hotels aren’t a thing here: They’re replaced by reinforcing your properties with bases and the like. You don’t need a block of properties to build with, either.
Both friends and foes will either “gain supplies” or “pay rent” every time they land on an owned property. In addition, if you land on an opponent’s property, not only do you pay rent, but you have the option to pay an extra amount and take over that property. Oh, but be careful of that dwindling bank account. Without cash, your play is severely limited.
Players can also gain funds when they win a player-versus-player battle. If your avatar lands on the same space that an opponent occupies, the defender rolls three dice into a small circular arena. The attacker then rolls his or her dice with the goal of not only ending with a higher total but physically knocking the defender’s dice over to lower numbers. The loser pays the toll.
So, is the game still all about bankrupting your opponent? Not really. Your pool of cash is important for buying planet properties, reinforcing and building, and purchasing certain bonuses and extra rolls as you move—but it doesn’t win the game. In fact, you don’t lose even if you totally empty your bank account.
The real victory measurement comes down to how many times a team wins a “Go Event.” Each time someone passes the Go space they get cash and trigger a dice roll-off with certain team-based goals—hitting specific dice roll totals, avoiding certain penalizing numbers, etc.
After a set number of these ‘Go Events’ are triggered, the team wins are tallied up and added to “influence points” (gained through property ownership and combat victories) and the winning side is lauded.
Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains does not require an internet connection other than for download and online multiplayer play. Up to six players can compete in local offline contests.
This game is colorful and family friendly. It offers players a choice between a total of 28 animated characters—including favorites such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Yoda on the good guy team and Darth Vader, Darth Maul and Emperor Palpatine on the baddy team.
Each of the characters also has his or her own special ability that can be used strategically to benefit your chosen squad. During play, animated scenes display key action moments duplicated from the Star Wars movies.
The game score and sound effects mirror familiar Star Wars elements.
Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains is rated E10+, but that’s primarily because the in-game characters sport weapons such as laser pistols and lightsabers. The game features quick scenes of spacecraft blasting at one another in deep-space combat and attacking planets with Death Star blasts. (No characters are blasted, however.)
In addition, the villain characters can snarl out threatening lines such as, “Don’t force me to destroy you,” and “Be careful not to choke on your aspirations,” during interactions.
Characters who get sent to jail are sealed in Carbonite.
Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains feels like a rejiggered Monopoly game mixed with intergalactic character strategy. Some will love the new multiplayer teamwork. Others will miss the property bargain sessions and house building.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
