Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
By David Chapman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Expansion brings new fun, but still feels light on content.
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Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
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What’s It About?
Based on the popular board game of the same name, GLOOMHAVEN: JAWS OF THE LION is the first major content expansion to the Gloomhaven computer game. As a member of the infamous "Jaws of the Lion," you and your fellow mercenaries have built up quite a reputation in the city of Gloomhaven. So when some of the less fortunate folks in Gloomhaven begin to disappear, your party is more than willing to solve the mystery … for a price. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion expands on the base Gloomhaven game with 25 new scenarios, all tied to a new story that takes players deep into the shadows of the city's seedy underground. The expansion also adds four unique new mercenaries added to the base game's roster: the explosive Demolitionist, the axe throwing Hatchet, the crimson clad sickle wielding Red Guard, and the Voidwarden, whose brush with death granted them strange powers. Whether you're returning to Gloomhaven to continue your previous party's legacy or building a new one with these new recruits, you'll need to work together to discover what machinations are going on in the streets and alleys. And once again, your choices will shape the fate of Gloomhaven forever.
Is It Any Good?
When fans couldn't get enough of the board game Gloomhaven, it was only a matter of time for an expansion to come along and let those fans extend the legacy of their adventure. Now the digital version of Gloomhaven has followed suit with the release of Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. Unlike the physical expansion to the board game, which was a standalone release, this digital expansion requires players to already own the base Gloomhaven video game. Taking its cue from the "If it ain't broke" school of thought, the expansion leaves the gameplay of the main game untouched. Instead, it simply adds a few new missions tied to a new story campaign, some new enemies and bosses, a handful of new items, and most important, four new classes, to the original Gloomhaven toybox. While it's hard to complain about having more content, when compared to the sheer volume of content already in the base game, the expansion feels a bit anemic by comparison.
Jaws of the Lion may only add four new classes to the game's bulky roster, but they are available in Guildmaster mode right from the start. For players that haven't unlocked the multitude of other classes in the base game yet, this can feel more substantial. Plus, each of the four classes has its unique specialties and uses that stand out from the rest and can be worked into missions using new and innovative tactics. The Demolitionist, for example, can ground pound and affect sizeable chunks of the battlefield, clearing obstacles or knocking foes into walls for extra damage. Chain these moves with teammates' abilities, and it opens up some spectacular combo opportunities. The plot of the new storyline, accessible in the Campaign after finishing the base game's second scenario, isn't all that compelling, but it does give both new players and returning adventurers something extra to sink their teeth into. Overall, Jaws of the Lion is exactly what it claims to be and nothing more. It expands on the things that make Gloomhaven such a blast to play, but plays it safe by not taking any chances or mixing things up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in gaming. Is the impact of the violence in Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion affected by the way it's portrayed in the gameplay? How different is the impact of imagined violence, such as in pen and paper games, compared to a visual representation of that violence in video games, movies, etc.?
How can content expansions help to extend the life of both physical and digital games? What sort of added content are you looking for in an expansion pack?
Game Details
- Platforms: Windows , Mac
- Pricing structure: Paid ($17.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Asmodee Digital
- Release date: May 17, 2022
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: NR for No Descriptions
- Last updated: July 5, 2022
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