Ancestors Legacy

Providing an evocative look back at some of history's most visceral pre-modern battles and conflicts, Ancestors Legacy is a superb PS4 RTS that fans of the genre shouldn't miss out on.

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Ancestors Legacy is a historically-based real-time strategy game set in the Middle Ages. Players can choose from four different factions, each with unique strengths, weaknesses, and units. The game features large-scale battles, a deep crafting and resource management system, and a historical campaign mode that brings the brutal era of the Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Germans, and Slavs to life.

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Reviews

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,989 reviews

gameplay141 positive mentions

grinding23 negative mentions

Engaging and immersive campaigns with historical narratives.
Impressive graphics and animations, especially during combat.
Unique mechanics like flanking, ambushes, and a day/night cycle that affect gameplay.

Limited unit cap of 10 squads, which restricts strategic options.
AI can be unbalanced, often overwhelming players with endless waves of units.
Lack of customization in base building and unit variety across factions.

gameplay
459 mentions
31 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its similarities to "Company of Heroes" in terms of mechanics and squad-based tactics. While some appreciate the engaging combat and strategic elements, others criticize the gameplay for being repetitive, simplistic, and lacking depth, particularly in unit variety and tactical options. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience with solid mechanics, but it struggles with pacing and can become tedious over time.
- “The gameplay captures the grittiness of medieval warfare.”
- “The gameplay is very enjoyable and the graphics are great, which really appealed to my tastes.”
- “Great game with a good gameplay and nice strategy aspect.”
- “Amazing presentation followed by some of the most bland gameplay I have ever experienced.”
- “The gameplay is fairly tedious, with your units gaining experience as they fight, but if they all die, you lose the experience.”
- “With only six units per faction, all practically identical with minor stat changes, and the same buildings for every faction, gameplay quickly becomes repetitive and uninspiring.”
story
432 mentions
27 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players praising its engaging narratives and well-crafted campaigns that span multiple factions, while others criticize the repetitive mission structure and lack of depth in character development. Many appreciate the historical context and artistic presentation, but voice acting and mission design often detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, while the storytelling has its moments, it can feel tedious and formulaic, leaving some players wanting more variety and immersion.
- “Loved the storytelling and the narration plus the combat; it all meshed together so well, and I think it's honestly what I'm missing in life is more like this.”
- “The campaigns are filled with good artwork, but nonsensical storylines and dialogues.”
- “The campaign is vivid and has a great story that makes you feel a little pull when you play it, but it isn't very immersive.”
- “The graphics are mediocre, the story is boring, and the voice acting is atrocious.”
- “The campaign missions are just artificially difficult and annoying.”
- “I easily got bored with the story a few missions in; may not be the same for everyone, but I abandoned single-player story for multiplayer.”
graphics
308 mentions
62 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their impressive quality, detailed animations, and immersive atmosphere, often compared favorably to other titles in the RTS genre. Many players appreciate the beautiful artwork and cinematic features, although some note that the gameplay can overshadow the visuals due to the fast-paced nature of RTS mechanics. While there are occasional criticisms regarding graphical glitches and a lack of depth in certain areas, the overall consensus highlights the game's strong visual appeal and engaging presentation.
- “The graphics are fantastic, the animations are just awesome, and the soundtrack is just oh so good.”
- “The graphics are beautiful to look at and the tactics are surprisingly interesting.”
- “The graphics are excellent, and the atmosphere at the beginning really draws you in.”
- “The graphics are mediocre, the story is boring, and the voice acting is atrocious.”
- “Graphics are bad, story is bad, voice acting is bad... looks and feels cheap.”
- “Despite the screenshots and videos, the game's graphics remain several years behind what is currently capable.”
music
207 mentions
63 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its epic quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. The soundtrack is noted for its diversity, with each faction having its own unique themes that contribute to the immersive experience, often drawing comparisons to the acclaimed music of The Witcher series. While some critiques mention issues with voice acting and gameplay, the consensus is that the soundtrack stands out as a highlight, making it a significant draw for players.
- “The OST is superb and represents each civilization in its entirety; it is amazing to feel that sense of empowerment when listening to it.”
- “The music is truly epic.”
- “The soundtrack and atmosphere on this one are almost worth the asking price alone.”
- “Murky image, annoying music, weak uninteresting gameplay; had to play the original Dune 2 browser game port to clear my eyes and soul of this junk.”
- “Looking for some traps and burning them, hiding from units in bushes and avoiding battle, very poor unit roster, ugly units with ugly weapons, infantry has some clubs and not even swords, terrible music and so on... there are older games that are far better than this.”
- “Music is also virtually non-existent.”
atmosphere
52 mentions
79 % positive mentions
15 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive environments, impressive graphics, and captivating music, effectively capturing the grim and gritty essence of the historical setting. While many players appreciate the detailed visuals and sound design that enhance the overall experience, some note that these elements cannot fully compensate for the game's shortcomings in gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, drawing players into a richly crafted world despite other gameplay flaws.
- “The game provides detailed and immersive environments, which contribute to the overall historical atmosphere.”
- “Ancestors Legacy, a historical squad-based real-time strategy (RTS) game, lures you in with its captivating music, impressive graphics, and immersive atmosphere.”
- “The music and graphics are evolving, very well worked out, and successfully create a unique atmosphere.”
- “An extremely simplified and generally poorly done RTS game that tries to bribe you with a 'grimdark' atmosphere and violence.”
- “This rips the player out of the atmosphere.”
- “Graphics, animations, sound, and overall atmosphere are fucking brutal.”
optimization
28 mentions
46 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its performance and graphics, noting smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems. However, others criticize it for poor AI performance and specific campaign maps experiencing issues, suggesting that while the overall optimization is commendable, there are areas that require improvement. Overall, the game is seen as well-optimized by many, but not without its flaws.
- “The mechanics of the game are simple but optimized, and combat can be unforgiving if you are not paying attention.”
- “Great graphics and performance paired with great gameplay.”
- “My CPU isn't the best, but the game is very well optimized.”
- “Bad optimization.”
- “Also, the game is badly optimized; my Vega 64 and i7 4790 are almost idle, and frames are dropping to the 50s most of the time.”
- “Melee range and unit AI need to be further optimized; I have seen lots of units fight in a really crowded area for quite a few minutes without many casualties.”
grinding
27 mentions
11 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
85 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and monotonous, with players often feeling trapped in repetitive cycles of resource farming and skirmishes that lack excitement. Many reviews highlight the slow progression, frustrating mechanics, and a campaign that becomes increasingly boring as it drags on, leading to a general sentiment that the gameplay lacks depth and enjoyment. Overall, players express a strong desire for a more engaging and less grind-heavy experience.
- “It's a bit grindy at times, but it adds to the overall experience.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding if you want to fully enjoy the game.”
- “Grinding can be intense; you'll definitely need a second life for it!”
- “Forget epic battles and adrenaline rushes; here, it's a leisurely stroll through an eternal loop of cap control points, engage in a minor skirmish or two, retreat to replenish, and repeat until you start contemplating whether medieval farming might be a more exciting career choice.”
- “The main issue with the campaign is the stupid 'difficulty' system... which doesn’t make the game more difficult, only more tedious and stressful. By the last mission on a certain campaign, I was sick of getting rushed by 6 or 7 squadrons while at the beginning I only had 2 and had a bunch of resource problems to even build a tent.”
- “Most of the missions are grindy - stay in the bushes and kill enemies when they come, heal, rinse, repeat.”
stability
23 mentions
13 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
83 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, while others have experienced minimal issues and smooth performance. While a few users noted occasional freezing and specific mechanics behaving erratically, many praised the game's overall stability and performance, particularly on older systems. Overall, the experience varies widely, with some players enjoying a bug-free experience and others facing frustrating technical problems.
- “Runs great on my older system on ultra.”
- “I ran into no glitches during my entire playtime. Though I am far from finishing it all, it was a blast, and I will definitely return to complete it at some point.”
- “Pretty bug-free.”
- “The game is full of bugs, glitches, and balance issues that make it impossible to enjoy.”
- “I bought and downloaded it, and I can get to the end of the beginning cutscene, but then it freezes and I have to restart my entire computer.”
- “Game mechanics are buggy and broken.”
replayability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the potential for varied tactics and squad compositions, many criticize the linear missions and lack of an active multiplayer community, leading to limited overall replay value. Despite a compelling single-player campaign that offers some replayability, the consensus leans towards a lack of depth that may deter extended play.
- “I understand a lot of the negative reviews here, but overall, I would recommend it due to its simplicity and replayability.”
- “It has outstanding graphics (for an RTS game), good gameplay mechanics, and very satisfying battle animations. I feel immersed every single time when watching a battle using the zoom-in cinematic mode, and it surprisingly has an amazing single-player historical campaign that has very good replay value.”
- “To me, this game has a lot of replayability with trying different compositions of squads, experimenting with different tactics, and exploring the various factions.”
- “The game also has no replay value, as the missions are linear and scripted, and the multiplayer mode is dead.”
- “Overall, I still just can't recommend the game because the replayability value just isn't there and there isn't enough depth in the game to play it for hours on end.”
- “Practically no replay value.”
monetization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game is free from microtransactions and lootboxes, which is a positive aspect for players. However, some users feel that the developer has shifted focus to a new game, leading to concerns about the current game's support and updates.
- “There are no microtransactions or loot boxes, which is a refreshing change.”
- “I appreciate that the game doesn't include any pay-to-win mechanics.”
- “The absence of monetization tactics like microtransactions makes for a more enjoyable experience.”
- “Oh, and I guess this is abandonware now because the developer is advertising their new game on this game's page.”
- “I guess I misunderstood the advertising; I thought it was an actual combat game, not an RTS.”
- “No microtransactions, loot boxes, etc.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as both amusing and absurd, with players finding entertainment in its exaggerated historical inaccuracies and quirky character interactions. The comedic elements, particularly in specific missions, contribute to an overall fun experience, despite the game's serious themes.
- “The second Rurik mission is just hilarious.”
- “Fun and funny game.”
- “Which... was kinda funny, since technically, gameplay in COH was not the next big thing.”
character development
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The character development in the campaign is praised for its theatricality and engaging storyline, complemented by strong voice-over performances that enhance the overall experience.
- “The campaign is theatrically captivating in storyline and character development, with excellent voice-over acting.”
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making every decision feel impactful and meaningful.”