Age of Fear: The Undead King
- November 15, 2011
- Leslaw Sliwko
- 58h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Age of Fear: The Undead King" is a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements, where players lead a party of heroes and creatures in battles against undead forces. The game features a detailed physics-based combat system, character development, and Steam Workshop integration for mods. This Gold edition includes additional content and improvements based on community feedback since its initial 2011 release.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Engaging tactical combat that requires strategic planning and unit management.
- Interesting storylines with two distinct campaigns, allowing players to experience both good and evil perspectives.
- Active developer support with regular updates and responsiveness to player feedback.
- Graphics and sound design are basic and may not appeal to players seeking high production values.
- Limited replayability due to linear story progression and lack of meaningful choices outside of combat.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as unit movement and interaction, can feel clunky and unintuitive.
- story116 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as mediocre and clichéd, often falling into the "good versus evil" trope, with some players finding it engaging despite its simplicity. While the necromancer campaign is noted for its unique feel, many reviews highlight the lack of depth and memorable writing, with a mix of enjoyable character interactions and forgettable narratives. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a backdrop to the tactical gameplay, providing context for battles but lacking significant narrative innovation.
“Playing the necromancer campaign at the moment - good story and great 'feel' - really feels like being a necromancer, animating the corpses of fallen enemies and raising an army of undead.”
“The more you play, the more the two campaigns included in this game capture you with their story, which is full of old-time tropes that remind me of Pip and Merlin (an old adventure book series from that time).”
“The story is - though a bit clichéd - surprisingly interesting and told by a fully voiced narrator.”
“The storyline is the most boring generic story you have ever heard, and even though they read it to you, you will find yourself thinking of other things.”
“The story is... in my opinion, lackluster at best, though I found the necromancer story to be both my favorite and also the weaker of the two stories by the end.”
“There's a story, but it's only text and it's pretty thin.”
- graphics42 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as basic and functional, often likened to old-school tabletop aesthetics with miniatures and simple 2D designs. While some players appreciate the charm and clarity of the visuals, many criticize them as dated and lacking polish compared to modern standards. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose but are not a highlight of the game, appealing primarily to those who prioritize gameplay over visual fidelity.
“Lovely graphics and the update services are wonderful.”
“Graphics are simple yet beautifully designed, and the developers' effort and passion can be felt within.”
“The visuals are simple but effective; different units are easily recognizable, and although the animations are pretty basic, they get the job done.”
“Beyond the lackluster combat, which is the crux of the game, the graphics, music and voice acting, story, writing, and characters are all very mediocre and completely forgettable while the UI is utterly horrendous and feels extremely amateur.”
“The graphics aren't the best and there is a lot of reading involved with the storyline but it checks the important box: fun.”
“The voiceovers and graphics are dated.”
- gameplay39 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing it for being overly simplistic and lacking strategic depth, often devolving into repetitive combat scenarios. However, others appreciate its unique mechanics, such as gridless turn-based combat and unit customization, which provide an engaging tactical experience reminiscent of classic tabletop games. While the presentation may be lacking, many players find the core gameplay enjoyable and recommend it for fans of tactical RPGs, especially when on sale.
“Nice little indie tactical RPG with a compelling story and interesting mechanics.”
“The mechanics and customization of the RPG side of leveling up your units in this game makes you get attached to the individual units like you do in the XCOM series or Final Fantasy Tactics.”
“Solid tactical gameplay and a reasonable interface.”
“Overall, I don't recommend it because it frankly isn't worth the price of $25.00 USD: the combat revolves purely around attacking the enemy until they are dead, there are no mechanics that add strategic depth to the game, you are barely able to interact with the environment, and each battle has the same objective and devolves into the same stale war of attrition as you are constantly outnumbered and are forced to play defensively in order to overcome the stacked odds.”
“The gameplay is touted as 'deep and complex' but it's frankly completely vacuous and solely involves you mindlessly attacking the enemy until they are dead — it's essentially a race to see who can do damage faster and more efficiently.”
“The gameplay is very linear: just a series of battles.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking due to tedious unit leveling and limited engagement outside of the open-world mode, others appreciate the variety of choices, hidden units, and the ability to create custom campaigns, which enhance replay value. Overall, the experience can feel repetitive for some, but the potential for tactical diversity and exploration keeps others returning.
“This is a game with good replay value.”
“There are some options to be made and a lot of hidden units and levels, so it has some replayability, aside from different difficulties.”
“Lots and lots of choices, which makes replayability rather high.”
“Therefore, the game doesn't have much replay value outside of playing with the various factions' units in the open-world mode, but even that is tedious since you have to manually level up each unit to see their full class tree (if they even have one) and complement of skills.”
“Although I have 77 hours on record, about two-thirds of it was spent playing the open-world mode on auto-pilot while doing something else just to see what it had to offer before I reviewed the game in full. I still think that the game is extremely rough around the edges, doesn't have much replay value, and definitely isn't worth its base price.”
“May be the replay value is not very high, but in this case, I don't mind.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and fitting for the game's setting, with some reviewers noting its charm and ability to enhance the overall experience. While opinions vary, many agree that the music complements the gameplay well, despite some criticism of its lack of epicness. Overall, it is considered a pleasant aspect of the game, contributing positively to the mood and immersion.
“It's a charming, deep strategy game with some grind but an intriguing tale, pleasant music and artwork, and it has eaten a lot of my time outfitting my merry band and trying to get through a mission with more of a positive k/d ratio.”
“The primitive but often authentic sounding medieval music, which changes nicely to fit the mood.”
“Beyond the lackluster combat, which is the crux of the game, the graphics, music, and voice acting, story, writing, and characters are all very mediocre and completely forgettable while the UI is utterly horrendous and feels extremely amateur.”
“The music is composed of atmospheric sounds that fit the terrain in which the battle is taking place.”
“The graphics are basic, but the sound and music fit the mood very well.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews on the humor aspect of the game are mixed; while some players appreciate the character banter and find the faction stories amusing, others feel the humor falls flat and detracts from the experience. Notably, the campaign features a blend of dry humor and engaging illustrations, though the lack of voice acting means players must read text to enjoy the comedic elements. Overall, the humor is seen as a hit or miss, with some finding it enjoyable and others unimpressed.
“Each faction has their own good and funny story and conversations.”
“The campaigns seem relatively lengthy and well made with a dab of dry humor, nifty illustrations, and surprisingly decent voice acting.”
“Fun game, love the story and the humor between the hero and the horse.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and cumbersome, particularly due to the manual leveling of units and a confusing user interface that complicates inventory and equipment management. The lack of replay value and the need to frequently reload saves further detract from the overall experience, making the grinding feel more like a chore than an engaging part of gameplay.
“Therefore, the game doesn't have much replay value outside of playing with the various factions' units in the open-world mode, but even that is tedious since you have to manually level up each unit to see their full class tree (if they even have one) and complement of skills.”
“The UI is atrocious: the unit management is cumbersome because you have to use a horizontal scroll bar to view your entire army. The shop and your inventory are combined into one, which is extremely confusing and makes equipment management a tedious chore. You can only load a save from the main menu, which means that you have to quit out of a game each time you want to reload, and there is a general lack of polish.”
“Some of the pawns' sayings get tedious, as they respond every time you activate them.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by a carefully composed soundtrack that features atmospheric sounds, effectively complementing the game's diverse terrains and battle settings.
“The music is composed of atmospheric sounds that fit the terrain in which the battle is taking place.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as lacking compared to its peers, with some reviewers noting that while the combat is superior to Fire Emblem, the writing and depth of character development fall short.
“Somewhat like Fire Emblem with better combat and worse writing and character development.”
