Robotech: Crisis Point

I like that Crisis Point seems to understand exactly where its predecessor stumbled, arriving a little fuller and a little more polished. Its larger board, laid out as a 4x4 grid, also gives it a more complete presence on the table, while the Robotech fluff is enough to attract anyone with even a slight soft spot for the setting.

At its core, this is a fast two-player game played over that 4x4 grid. The two sides have mildly asymmetric powers, but that asymmetry never feels clumsy or creates the sort of jerky imbalance that bothers me.

The game is differentiated chiefly by its many cards, which offer more variety from game to game, and by its hidden objectives. So, against the other player, you are not merely making obvious moves on the grid: you are also trying to advance your own secret goal, while retaining some uncertainty about what your opponent is really pursuing.

I would not put it alongside the sacred monsters of the fast two-player game space and expect it to stand as an equal; it simply does not compare there. Still, it is not bad at all. If Robotech means something to you and you do not mind collecting small fillers, it is worth a look.