For the past couple of years, the Seed series of games made by CH Games have been some of the best mobile role-playing game (RPG) experiences to date. The series has found success by combining great artwork with an immersive story and gameplay. When I booted up Seed 4 for the first time, I was a bit surprised to see that this edition of the series has taken a different route to bring the story and gameplay to the player. 

Seed 4 utilizes a social mechanic to bring a different experience to the series and create a very interesting experience. Instead of presenting the player with traditional RPG battle sequences, Seed 4 focuses on its story and the social aspects of teamwork and competition.  In fact, after the first few battle scenes that I encountered, I turned off the scenes altogether so that I could concentrate on my character’s progression and story.

The social aspect of the Seed 4 is one of its biggest draws. When you create your character, you’ll be sent to an online multiplayer server where you can team up with friends, chat with other players and join a guild to further your progress and enhance your experience. I must say that the process of finding a guild as a fresh player was rather daunting. I signed up for a guild with an open spot, only to never receive a reply. Like other mobile RPGs, the fact that players tend to play in short bursts can negatively impact the social experience. This is an issue that I think Seed 4 tries to tackle, but it ultimately comes up short.

In Seed 4, you don’t walk around or actually see yourself travel.  Instead, it's almost like a battle card game with really great artwork. This is definitely a big difference between Seed 4 and the previous entries in the series. And while I know that the game is trying to emphasize other qualities like its social mechanics and story, the constant grind that the player feels when clicking through page after page of battles and quests can get quite repetitive. When combined with a lack of any kind of tutorial or help button, this was my biggest complaint about the game.

Circling back to the presentation of Seed 4, I must admit that the game's artwork is fantastic. Seed 4 lacks traditional animation but makes up for it with great visuals, good sound effects and a fluid menu system. CH Games has made another great-looking game.

The Wrap­up:

The Good: Seed 4 has stunning artwork, a cool social aspect and a fresh take on the Seed series.

The Bad: Gameplay can feel like a grind after a while, and the game lacks any kind of tutorial or help guide. 

The Verdict: Players looking for a gaming experience similar to the previous Seed games may be disappointed with Seed 4. However, anyone that wants a quick and easy mobile RPG may want to check Seed 4 out. The game is free to download and is available for Android and iOS devices. Download Seed 4 today and let us know what you think in the comments below!