In fact, the graphics were dated when the previous game was released two years ago. Though serviceable, the graphics for the game are just too dated to win any admirers. Luckily there's an option now to have units who are grouped together move at a single speed. Given the narrowness of some of the areas on the maps, making sure all of your units are where they're supposed to be becomes a challenge in itself. Friendly units will split from their groups and take the long way around to particular objectives. Previous versions of the game have suffered from the same weakness but that makes it no less excusable here. The other real gripe I have with the game is the shoddy pathfinding. Still, spending the first half of each game watching the enemy send individual units to take on your large guard towers is plenty annoying. I have found rare moments where the AI has run around me, trying to undercut my economic basis and there have been a few occasions where the enemy took advantage of my attention being diverted elsewhere to seize or destroy key objectives. For one thing, the enemy AI still seems committed to the idea that a slow and steady trickle of attackers will eventually wear down your defenses. Thankfully, the units in the middle range are fun and varied enough to provide an interesting challenge.īut there are still some definite tactical shortcomings here. To actually field the largest units in the game, you may find yourself holding back from delivering the killing blow. Late units take a bit too long to build as well. Sadly, weak units get outclassed a bit too soon (unless you're playing one of the rush races like the Swarm). Building up even a modest force will require more than a few minutes as you locate resources and build the appropriate structures. Some missions will even grant you an alliance with one of the other races, allowing you to lead them into future combats if you desire.Īs with the previous game it can take a while to get things rolling in terms of production. There are story missions at most of these nodes but there are also lots of random, incidental missions you can undertake to build up your forces.
There are various nodes around the map and each is linked to one or more other nodes. While I like the Risk-style approach of the last game, the developers have jettisoned that idea in favor of a more story-driven experience that still allows the player to set their own path through the world. The campaign game has a lot more direction to it this time around. Heroes can now buy and sell magic items at new shops at certain areas and can even gather a retinue of high-level troops around them to carry with them from mission to mission. Through the game, they'll be responsible for gaining control of resource nodes and picking up magic items. There are as many classes for your hero as there are races (but not, unfortunately, as much documentation) so you can build exactly the right hero for your needs.
Creating and developing a hero is definitely one of the driving forces behind the game. Add them to the various types of dwarves, elves, orcs, and so forth in the game and you've got a fantasy setting with tremendous variety and richness.Īnd you can play as any of these races in the game, not just as the units you'll lead but also as the hero who represents you in the game. The new insectoid Swarm are able to drain resources from the mines of other players while the Ssrathi have a giant Sun Temple that defends the area around with massive spells. In addition to the interesting philosophical identities, resource requirements, tech trees and unit focus of each race, most also have some unique powers. The disease-laden Plaguelords are entirely new, as are the dinosaur-like Ssrathi and the numerous Swarm. The humans of old have been split into two distinct political factions this time, the cavalry-heavy Knights and the more generalist-minded Empire. There are five new races in this sequel, bringing the combined total up to a billion playable races.
The series has always been known for presenting lots and lots of playable races. And while it's not surprising that Warlords Battlecry 3 is a lot like Warlords Battlecry 2 (that is, after all, the point of a sequel), we find ourselves impressed with the few changes that have been made but we're still left wishing that the developers had taken a few more chances or added a few state-of-the-genre updates, primarily in terms of graphics. While there were plenty of interesting titles at the show, there was a strong sense that we had seen nearly everything there before in one form or another. After this year's E3, we're having a debate around the office about the need to innovate.