Last year Microsoft released a game called Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders. The game was a mix of real time strategy and an interesting story line of the fight between good and evil. The game was a sleeper hit and was a refreshing change from some of the same old games being released at the time. While the game was enjoyable, it was the type of game that really threw you right into the action and left you learn by your mistakes as you played.

The real appeal aside from the story and the action was the different races the game had to offer. It had no huge budget but the game was a sequel, although most people never heard of the game’s developers, Phantagram. This may be due to the fact the first game was for the PC only and released back in 2001. The game had an appeal with the characters, the story and again the difficulty of the game.

For fans of the RTS (real-time strategy) games with an action adventure mix, it was the right game at the right time. When I sat down to play the sequel (or more accurately prequel) to the sleeper hit, I knew I was in for a good time but also a difficult time trying to learn the game. Now the question remains does Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes have the same feel as the last game in the series? Read on to find out.

Gameplay

Almost like the last game this one throws you right into a battle with little information. If you want to call it a tutorial, go for it, but it really just plants you right into the thick of the game. They added new characters this time although a few you won’t be able to play right away. You have to earn them similar to some other games out there. Players may find this approach to the gameplay a bit frustrating while fans of this genre will like the challenge. I found the first few battles a bit difficult.

The storyline is about the evil plans of overtaking Bersia and the human race that inhabits the land. While the new characters are cool and add allot to the gameplay, gamers will have to learn to ignore the poor translation of the script and the voice actors to a point. I am not sure exactly if the medieval times really existed as portrayed here. I am sure that no one went around saying “Eh“. Now I can take that as just a case of lost in translation since the last game had a few sentences that were not meant as humor but came across hilarious. So the lines won’t always make sense if you take them word for word, but the story really is interesting. The battles are not just simulated by moving an army here and there and barking out orders. You actually play the leader and fight as well and that’s part of the charm that Heroes provides.

The character you choose determines the main story and the goal. It’s a deep game that you will spend hours playing and so well done that the time will fly by. I said it was a difficult game to learn and it is but that’s part of the fun really. You must also take the lead and control where your armies go when they attack; and then you must fight as well. This is why the game is appealing since few games allow you to play and actually feel like you’re in the game. The fast pace of the game will help you forget the gaps in the story and a few mistakes in the language. It throws you in the action and then heats up rather fast and it won’t hold your hand like other games in the real time strategy genre.

Heroes is also a mature game in terms that it’s bloody and realistic. Let’s face facts here, when you get a sword slashed into you, there is going to be blood. It’s not over done and does not go for the “gross out” factor, but it tries very hard to maintain a real look and feel. The language is not crude but yes there are a few swear words thrown about. After all, getting stabbed would make me swear, don’t know about you? The game has so many different stories within the main story that you will have to fend off poison attempts on the leaders as well as other twists and turns.

Even so, as good as the game’s story tries to be, it’s the fast paced action and the creatures you will face and battle that grabs your attention. The weapons are realistic looking and you will need to order the catapult operators to load and crank down their units before firing them. Those with bows will have to wait for the order and at times wait for the commander to light their arrows and then fire. It’s these small details that make the game stand out.

Control / Playability

The controls are difficult and the learning curve is about 2 hours; and then you will still need to learn small things once you earn them, like new attacks and weapons, or spells. Now any game that takes two hours just to learn the basic controls and is still able to get my praise is saying allot. There is a small map that you will use along with the left analog stick to control or give marching directions. You will also have other units like a real army and some of them at times will head in another direction or wait for your attack orders. It sounds complicated and it is but once you learn how the game operates it is much less confusing.

Some of the controls are simple such as the right attack combos, spells and hiring or listening in for news to help your troops. The complicated controls are laid out well and respond great; you just need to take the time to learn them. After the time is spent to get the controls down, the game is really intense and it becomes easy to lose track of time and getting caught up in the action on the screen. I only really scratched the surface here when it comes to the controls. You need to read the game book and watch the on screen prompts to get everything down.

Xbox Live

Perhaps the biggest addition besides the new characters and races is the online modes. You not only have a chance to do battle with up to six players in a one on one, two on two or three on three battle, but you can set the rules, the rounds and even set up your own room on Xbox Live. Or you can jump into a game and start playing with others using the OptiMatch feature. I have never hid my feelings about playing games without friends and for the most part I always enjoy gaming with friends better. In this one you can work as a team against the others or you against everyone. I enjoyed the OptiMatch games and was surprised at the amount of players online. The lobby is basic but easy to navigate through and there is no lag. Of course, you need to look at the host connection meter that is displayed.

Even smack talking did not bother me and in fact its part of the fun. The thing that is different is the fact you earn a ranking online as well as the offline game. So people who drop will not get points and this helps make sure that the game runs without anyone just dropping just because they are losing. The fact that you can be attacked by so many places at once, the game can change leaders instantly and it often does while playing online. A well-made but not fancy lobby, smooth online play, and no lag will make this one appeal especially to those who enjoyed the previous game.

Graphics / Presentation

The series is not known for awesome graphics, but they are not terrible. This one tries to add a bit more detailed but it looks very similar to the last one. In fact, a few of the battle areas return but are placed in a different order. The graphics are good and at times pretty amazing and then go back to an average looking game. You will see some wild looking beasts and creatures and the flying creatures, which look great. Trying to do battle against them is another story though. Kingdom uses what works best to tell the story and show the battles and lets you use your imagination a bit. You get caught up in the battles and at times you almost feel like you’re in that time period and that’s great when a game manages to do that.

Kingdom Under Fire Heroes Xbox Screenshot

Kingdom Under Fire Heroes Xbox Screenshot

Kingdom Under Fire Heroes Xbox Screenshot

View all Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes Screenshots

Audio

The guitar riffs are great and help set the tempo of the battles and yes I said guitar riffs. Perhaps a joke on the developer’s part, each game in the series has featured a heavy metal sound mixed with others and it works. The rest of the sound effects are decent and the voice-over actors really try to get into their roles. Again some are better than others and it’s hard to stay in character when the sentence is just off. I am sure most gamers remember the line “all your bases belong to us”? Well that is the way a few of the lines sound just slightly off or a word out of place. A few of the evil characters do an outstanding job and really make the audio stand out.

Replay Value

This one is loaded with replay value with just the amount of time it will take to beat the game with one player. You then unlock new characters and the story is not the same. Throw in the online mode and Heroes is really packed with a ton for fans of this genre. Despite the few translation issues and the terms that seem out of the place, the game shows it is going another step further and is sure to see another sequel. It has everything to make fans of RTS and action adventure games have a good time. Just have the right mind set to know that you will need to learn the controls.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.4/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes has everything fans of the genre will be looking for with a massive single player mode and an online mode. More creatures and characters added and some cool 3-D graphics makes this one fun to play. You can even save and replay certain battles and have a ton of options. I like where the game is heading as a series and enjoyed it. While tough to learn, it’s not impossible. It’s great to pop it in, play a battle and then save the game or keep going into the wee hours of the night.

Related Links

Filed under: Reviews

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!