Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat

Controls are a bit dated but I love the story and setting, this is what warhammer used to be before GW sold its soul to 40K.

Enjoy every fight - you will have to work very hard to win them

Shadow of the Honed Rat is an exceptionally enjoyable game. Released in 1995, the graphics are certainly a product of its time and the mechanics take time to adjust to, but it is arguably the most accurate tabletop to PC translation of Warhammer even to this day. Starting off with your commander and two regiments, your mercenary group, the Grudgebringers, expands from level to level, all the while trying to ensure your deployment and tactics allow your army to prevail. There is also multiple routes you can take gather unique units to add to your army as well as new levels you wouldn't see in others. There is a lot of chance involved, also like the actual Warhammer game, as sometimes a basic Skaven unit can batter your elite infantry! It is also very, very difficult. You can expect to replay some of the later levels many times and a single mistake or deployment error can sometimes see your entire army routed. As well, about the fifth level, the game sees a dramatic increase in difficulty which only tapers off towards the very end, so be wary. However, I enjoyed learning and understanding the mechanics, getting used to the controls and taking in the very old atmosphere of both classic Warhammer and a very old game. As well as that, although difficult, there is a certain appeal trying to overcome a strategic or tactical issue, with which you will face plenty. It must be noted however to take caution how you manage your troops. If you take too much damage in a level, don't be afraid to restart and remember to save often! In summary: PROS: - A very faithful adaption of Warhammer Fantasy - Interesting and engaging game mechanics - Multiple routes for different levels - Charming and old atmosphere - Very difficult* CONS: - Graphics might seem dated to some - May take time to adjust to controls and mechanics - Very difficult* - Difficulty may be frustrating for some A solid 5/5. I got plenty of enjoyment and its a wonderful Warhammer game.

To start with the game ran fine, then when i played it yesterday (21/7/2015) it began to get stuck on the "prepare for battle" screen. clicking on the screen causes the game to crash. reinstalled and repaired several times with the same result.

I haven't played Shadow of the Horned Rat back in the 90s, but I did play the sequel, Warhammer Dark Omen. Having played SotHR now for the first time, I'd say that it really excels in the atmosphere department but suffers from a very poor user interface. From the truly weird, handmade cutscenes to the intermission screens and voiced mission briefings, the game creates a uniquely dark, imaginative vibe. The original weirdness of the Warhammer Fantasy universe is very well depicted here. Later Warhammer games like Mark of Chaos are quite a bit less unique. The characters and the harsh game mechanics (any losses to your units are carried over to the next missions, and you have to earn enough gold to resupply and pay your troops) make it a believable mercenary simulation. The campaign management actually even seems to be more involved than in Dark Omen. I had to play even the first mission multiple times in order to beat it with small losses to my units. I wonder if the later missions will still be enjoyably challenging and not painfully hard. Replaying a mission is part of the appeal, though, and results in very satisfying maneuvers. The flanking tactics are believable. One essential tactic is to attack enemy troops from the front and the back to rout them, then go for the next one. What really mars is the game is the very poor user interface. After learning it from the manual you'll find that it's simply needlessly cumbersome. Even simple things such as selecting units or turning them around feel clumsy and counterintuitive. The camera is too close. In contrast, Dark Omen has an excellent user interface. This GOG release has a couple small bugs. Sometimes the Windows OK/Cancel dialog displays random characters. When finishing a mission, an intermission screen is shown but disappears after a split second. Since it's still a unique and fascinating game, I can't help but to give it 4 stars still, though compared to Dark Omen it's probably rather a 3-star game.