Legends Of Eisenwald Early Access Review
Turn based Role Playing Games (RPGs) are potentially one of the toughest nuts to crack within the world of gaming. Aterdux Entertainment have decided to take up the mantle and boy have they done an outstanding job!
When you first begin playing Legends Of Eisenwald, the very first thing that grabs you is the truly stunning world that you spawn in. Across the entire map, you are treated to a vast array of visual greatness, from the buildings, to the trees, the whole area is visually brilliant. You begin the story in a prologue chapter of the game as one of the three classes, a knight (melee), baroness (ranged) and mystic (mage) each of which can alter how you battle alongside your forces and can even have minor alterations to the story.
The combat system itself is very similar to what has been delivered in previous turn based RPGs. You and the enemy army will take it in turns based on your individual soldiers speed and perform attacks and abilities. There is no skipping turns which is a very interesting feature as it prevents people from being too passive and just reacting to what the AI does. You can however use a turn when using a priest or healer and recover MP, so if you don't have any potions for them they won't become deadweight. Again, this is a nice addition, as in some well known RPG titles your mages become completely redundant when their mana pool is completely drained.
The way that you recruit units for your armies is simple. You travel to taverns and villages, and using one of the action commands there, you can select which units you want to recruit in order to strengthen your army. Unfortunately, I found using this method of recruiting to be very soulless and I never found myself holding any real attachment to any of the generic soldiers fighting for me. This is something I feel is vital in titles such as this, as your travelling companions should be emotionally taxing, whether you love them or hate them, ultimately you should feel something!
The music in this game is excellent for setting the mood and really supplemented the game without being too overpowering. All of the effects and background music was perfectly placed for what is unfolding around you, so as the game suspense builds then the music follows suit to add to the tension. One small gripe I had with the music however was when you entered an inn you are instantly hit with a lot of loud hustling and talking. This is great when it comes to representing the feel of the inn, but when you are trying to read an epic bit of text or some lore from an NPC it can be very distracting and completely ruin the mood.
Overall, I think this game is excellent to play and fans of the genre will truly be happy with what Aterdux Entertainment have been able to produce. It's a beautiful, gripping and lengthy experience that really picks up the player and throws them into a world of chaos that is in need of a hero. Retailing at £15 in the UK at the time this goes to print, it's a game that you really shouldn't pass upon.
4/5
The Digital Gamer