Hugh Grant once sang “What’s the point of life if Risk is just a board game?” Generally speaking that’s solid advice but then again he never played Risk for the Xbox One. Risk from Ubisoft is now available on the Xbox One with 3-D renderings of dice and troops. It’s a modern layout to the classic game of global domination.
The recently released game follows the 2010 rules that have capital cities as standard but the basic layout is the same. If you’re unfamiliar with Risk, it’s one of the staples in any board game player’s wheelhouse. You and other players compete to take over the world in a turn based military face off that is determined by dice rolling and strategy. You receive troops each turn depending on how many territories you control and how many continents you’ve conquered and then try to expand your control of the world map. The Xbox One version also has suggestions for what move to do next for beginners. Hint: the key to Risk is taking continents and breaking continents, start with Australia.
While it can be fun to cause family feuds after one player somehow rolls 12 double sixes in a row, the Xbox One version allows you to play against AI or online through League Play. In League play you earn points by winning a match, coming in second place, or eliminating enemies. You can be promoted to higher leagues as you earn more points.
The game places you in a 3-D control room in which you fortify your positions and command your armies. The ensuing battles are rendered in 3-D by tiny tanks and other troops. The graphics aren’t outstanding but it’s more than moving plastic figurines, or shapes if you’re used to Classic Risk, around a board. There are basic cut scenes added for some points in the game as well.
The Xbox One version of Risks looks like a solid rendition of the classic board game. Users of Microsoft PC’s and tablets can play Risk on a version made by Marmalade Technologies Ltd but it is much more basic, lacks online gameplay, and is not available on the Xbox One.
