 |
|
CG rating |
The Bad
- Interesting improvements to diplomacy
- New units and heroes
- The battles are as engaging as ever
- Improved AI
- Doesn't include the released DLCs
- Long loading times
- Multiplayer in name only
- Fragile faction balance
Review
|
If we were to sum up the professional career of King Arthur we would have no reasons to doubt he was a real hero: remove sword from stone - check, conquer Britain – check, defeat the Saxons - check. The myriad of books, movies and games also did little to contradict this fact, as we haven't seen a tyranic or dictatorial Arthur in the media yet. Neocore Games didn’t go the other way with King Arthur: A Role-playing Wargame either, but after investigating the heroic aspect of the legend, they decided to offer us the chance to play on the other side of the fence with their latest expansion, The Saxons.
Just like the title says, this time we start in the opposite side of the map as we command the Saxon armies, with the divine duty to enforce Christian belief in a land of Britannia which is still under pagan rule. This puts us in direct conflict with Arthur, who is trying to forge his destiny in direct opposition to the Holy Church, worshipping trees and praying alongside druids in meadows. However the main objective is not to show Arthur that his ways are lost (mauling his skull with a cross if there's no other option) , as this is only a secondary objective. This is because the producers have listened to the fans and have introduced a number of sand-box characteristics to this expansion.
 |
 |
 |
This can be seen right from the start of the campaign, where we can hand-pick all the objectives that will ensure victory. As such, we will have to conquer the entire map or just a few provinces, maximize our Christian belief or just accumulate a small fortune, in other words we can make our own game experience, deciding whether to finish the game in a matter of hours or weeks.
The producers have also elegantly solved the issue of the story, by serving us a short introductory movie that explains what needs to be done, if anyone was still puzzled after reading that title. Still, we must notice that even if we are strongly encouraged to take the Christian side, completing the objectives is still possible if we bow ourselves to the Old Faith as well, if we want to take advantage of the heroes, units or spells from that side of the tech-tree. This is certainly more difficult, as the starting provinces and heroes are very pious, but it's nice to see that we have the option. However, as far as the story is concerned, Bedegraine Forrest has lost its importance in the big picture, being nothing more than the breeding ground for bandit raids or the location for an occasional side-quest.
Compared to the first title, the producers have brought some interesting changes to the economy, diplomatic system and heroes. The Knights can no longer band together to use their improved characteristics in battle, as it now requires a decent Leadership skill from the commander of the army to lead a fellow hero, making things a bit more strategic and giving a new importance to the units that can be recruited. The heroes themselves have become a bit more sensitive about Faith, and as mentioned before, the offer is a bit more varied on the Christian side. However, since we now lack Arthur's charisma we need to find new ways to recruit said Knights, and one of the most interesting additions for that purpose is the character “market”.
 |
 |
 |
The Heroes who are “on sale” are in fact in the service of another King, but are willing to switch sides if properly motivated with gold, food, artifacts and ladies. If impressed enough with your gifts, they will swear allegiance to you, and we're talking about a pretty important feature here since the opportunities for recruiting heroes are not as often as in the first game.
We can also court special Ladies in this market, which require the same kind of financial effort to impress, but one of these Ladies here will become your wife, not a mistress for your Knights. Who are you? We don't know, some Saxon warlord probably, but history didn't give us a valiant enough name or face to stand up to Arthur, so most likely the name of the PC you're playing from will get married. These Ladies are nothing like the regular mistresses meant for your heroes, because her dowry is fit for an Empress: huge amounts of resources or a unique unit, unattainable otherwise, are yours if you can win her hand in marriage.
Furthermore, we can win the favor of two bandit guilds, the Holy Church and the Marauders of Bedegrain Forrest through the same means. This opens up new diplomatic actions, such as setting your new friends on a raid through a rival's provinces or paying for protection against such actions. Being friends with the Church also allows you to start Crusades, recruit pious units and even heroes.
The relationship with the other kings has become a bit more interesting, compared to the first title where you couldn’t even send an insult. Now you can maintain pretty elaborate relationships, based on either friendship and trade agreements, or hostility and blackmail, based also on the size of your territory and army.
 |
 |
 |
|
Comments [Add a new comment]
| Ambele, depinde de preţ | |
 | 26% |
| Games should be bought? | |
 | 26% |
| Retail (Box) | |
 | 26% |
| Digital | |
 | 22% |
Total: 2328 votes
^ Top ^