Despite the nearly non-existent graphics, the excellent gameplay and balance kept me coming back for just one more turn. I want to play the game as each faction. How about we get a new version with 3D graphics and expanded map options?
This is a basic hack-n-slash. The basic mechanics are fun, and the game is entirely winnable. My big issues were with the extremely repetitive combat (you have to kill everything, and you kill it all in the same way 20 times in a row), and with the female NPCs. I understand that some guys want scantily-clad females in games, but it seems very off to me to bash mostly naked bimbo after mostly naked bimbo, who then fall to the ground in ... strange ... positions. I didn't finish the game.
By watching a couple of tutorials, I got the hang of this game pretty quickly. You complete missions and build your band of merry men. As the story advances, your camp economy flourishes (assuming you don't lose many merry men). This makes it easier to complete missions. There are a variety of fun abilities to use in missions. Aside from a level that forces you to subdue all opponents with non-lethal force, the level design is mostly sound. Fighting mounted knights is the big problem - combat with them is glitchy. You also can't knock them out, so your only option is to stun them and then kill them - not my fighting mode of choice. Many of my mission restarts came because my characters couldn't figure out how to strike his area.
I played the original Jazz Jackrabbit as a kid. This version seems like a cheap knock-off with gaudy colors, strange controls, and non-sensical layouts. It's hard to get motivated about a game this low-quality.
There are many fun levels. However, RNG starts to play a major role in some stages. There are few things I hate more in gaming than investing a lot of time in a level, and then having bad RNG ruin my run. The graphics are beautiful.
I love the Civ series. That's why this one was so disappointing for me. There are many nasty surprises in the gameplay, and the game is much harder than Civ2 or Civ4. I could put in a lot of work to get good at this version, but why would I do that when the other games in the series are so much better?
The economics system is pretty straightforward. I was able to turn a profit within my first few games, and the game does a good job of explaining why things are behaving how they are. There are some issues with having to use trial and error to get buildings to work, but overall this game is very fun.
If you're looking for a Rome simulator with a reasonable difficulty level without too much micro-managing, then this game is for you. It's just good clean fun, without a huge learning curve.
This is an old-school, low-res turn-based strategy game. It holds up very well. The graphics aren't worth a flip, but the gameplay is fun and compelling enough to keep me coming back for one more turn. Wish we had a new version with 3D graphics!
