Total Annihilation: Kingdoms + Iron Plague

I played a quick skirmish game (or part of one) with high hopes. Being a HUGE fan of the original Total Annihilation, I expected this to be along the same lines. I was sorely disappointed to find that the experience is a far cry from my beloved TA. Granted, I can see where the appeal of a medievil fantasy/magic type version of the game would be loved by some, however I couldn't bring myself to finish even one skirmish. About 15 minutes into the gameplay, I had grown bored with the way the game played and found myself uninstalling it. Worth the price? yes, if nothing more than to try it out. Would I play it again? Maybe... oneday... probably not though.

The Kingdom of Darien has been split into four warring factions, each vying for dominance in the 1999 medieval fantasy real-time strategy (RTS) game, "Total Annihilation: Kingdoms" (popularly referred to as TA:K). The "Total Annihilation" in this game's title is a reference to an earlier game that this same game developer made called "Total Annihilation." However, the two games share only a name and the genre, much like id Software's "Quake" & "Quake II." At it's release, TA:K was not well received by fans who were hoping for a sequel to the then-wildly popular "Total Annihilation." Adding to TA:K's public relations crisis was that series creator Chris Taylor had left the company prior to it's creation. Fans felt that this new game, created without it's creator, exploited the franchise's good name without earning it. Finally, the game developer, Cavedog Entertainment, shut down shortly after the release of the game's only expansion pack, "The Iron Plague." This event caused many to believe that TA:K 'caused' Cavedog to shut down, seemingly cementing TA:K's cursed reputation. The scorn originally heaped upon the game is not deserved, especially now after two decades removed from it's release. Chris Taylor leaving & Cavedog closing were due to many factors that were unrelated to the development & reception of TA:K. Those who look past the scorn will find an RTS game that, although now showing it's age, is enjoyable & was ahead of it's time. It sported an involved storyline, compelling soundtrack, lengthy single-player campaign & distinctive factions that each needed their own tactics in order to achieve victory. The oft-criticized "single resource" has since been replicated elsewhere in gaming without the derision and the game has even been considered an unofficial predecessor of the "tower defense" genre. Haters are gonna hate; For everyone else, though, TA:K deserves a 2nd look by anyone with an open mind & an appreciation for RTS gaming.

This game is one of my first and favorite RTS game during my childhood on the PC. Reliving the experience bring me tears in my eyes. To show movie/cutscene in the game, just go to the gog option; go the OTHERS, then choose "choose rendering", and select the third option which I think is named 'Software' not your current graphic card and I believe it should work.

This is an oldtime classic RTS! Each one the 4 factions needs a specific strategic command and has unique units. The Campaign is quite entertaining as each mission goal is different from one another. An alltime classic!

I played these games long ago, and have missed them.