Bannermen
- October 4, 2017
- Pathos Interactive
Bannermen feels half baked and underfunded. It takes ideas from classics, but you’re really better off playing those again.
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Reviews
- The game has a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RTS titles like Warcraft and Age of Empires, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- The graphics and sound design are decent, with good voice acting and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The mechanics are easy to understand, allowing players to quickly grasp the gameplay and enjoy the campaign and skirmish modes.
- The lack of a save feature during missions is frustrating, forcing players to restart if they need to leave mid-game.
- The game suffers from repetitive gameplay, with limited unit variety and a simplistic resource management system that lacks depth.
- Numerous bugs and glitches, including crashes and AI issues, detract from the overall experience and make the game feel unfinished.
- story51 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered decent but lacks depth and originality, often feeling generic and repetitive across missions. While some players found the narrative engaging enough to keep them interested, many criticized the writing quality, plot holes, and uninspired characters. Additionally, the inability to save mid-mission and various gameplay bugs detracted from the overall experience, leading to frustration among players.
“The story is actually interesting, so that is why I am keeping it and playing it until the end.”
“I can see where they are coming from and they have some nice ideas; the story is nice if generic, but I wanted to get to the end of the tale, so it kept my interest.”
“Great single-player campaign with fun missions and well-made cutscenes/story (took about 9 hours for me to finish on hard).”
“Don't expect old Blizzard levels of story writing or voice acting; it is not that.”
“In a nutshell, while the game does have some story depth, it feels too much like a reskin of Warcraft 2 (but only with the human faction) on a Starcraft 2 multiplayer map.”
“However, in between a single faction with a small, uninspired roster, bland story and writing, and very few options in terms of tactics and strategy, it’s tough to recommend.”
- gameplay35 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and variety, with many reviewers noting its resemblance to classic RTS titles like Warcraft and Age of Empires. While the mechanics are considered intuitive and easy to grasp, the limited unit diversity and basic hero mechanics contribute to a feeling of stagnation. Overall, the game is seen as needing significant updates to enhance its gameplay experience and address various bugs and design flaws.
“Mechanics, resources, units/tiers of units, and building were all easy to understand.”
“The product is a very unique game that has been inspired by the greatest RTS of all time (AoE, Warcraft, Starcraft, C&C and probably a lot more than I know of), but still distinguishes itself in gameplay, game mechanics, and flair.”
“Great game, good mechanics and combat!”
“It has zero depth to its gameplay.”
“The mechanics are intuitive and the gameplay is pretty standard to the RTS genre, but there isn't much depth to the strategy.”
“Terrible combat mechanics, units having trouble pathing, getting stuck in houses, etc.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic art style reminiscent of classic RTS games, while others find them underwhelming and comparable to older titles like Age of Empires II. Many users note that while the textures are decent, the overall visual experience lacks the polish expected from modern games, and some report performance issues even on lower settings. Overall, the graphics are described as average, with a blend of appealing design and outdated elements.
“I know this is advertised as a 'classic RTS', however classic RTS gameplay can be achieved with modern graphics and more diverse options.”
“I have no regrets about this purchase other than people don't fully appreciate it enough yet... this game has amazing graphics and amazing rendering; if you have a good graphics card, you will see it.”
“The textures are nice without being over the top, the story seems pretty interesting, and overall you get a very nice looking experience for your money with an art style that doesn't really set anyone up for displeasure.”
“The graphics are not very impressive, even at the highest settings.”
“This plays, and looks, more like an alpha that would hopefully get many updates improving gameplay and graphics, but sadly this appears to be the full version.”
“90s graphics and 90s gameplay, lots of bugs and the game isn't very fun, very repetitive.”
- music9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as memorable and well-composed, particularly noting the use of live instruments and a folk feel. However, others criticize the sound effects as lackluster and uninspired, describing the overall audio experience as droning and unoriginal. While the soundtrack is highlighted as a redeeming quality by some players, its short length and limited variety are also points of contention.
“The game soundtrack was excellent, probably one of the most memorable things about this game honestly.”
“Excellent sound and music.”
“The music is excellent and really carries the game.”
“The music follows the sound effects in being a constant, droning white noise of nothingness, unoriginal and uninspired, just depressing.”
“I'd say 2 out of 5 stars. Game mechanics were okay, hero was okay, music was okay... the single player campaign lacks any substance or soul, super predictable.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally acceptable, with most players experiencing only minor glitches that rarely disrupt gameplay. While some users reported occasional clipping and game-breaking issues, the majority noted no significant crashes or stability problems during their playtime.
“Graphics are okay, voice acting is bad, but there are glitches when trying to build and game-breaking glitches.”
“Cool game, but it's full of bugs and glitches.”
“Most glitches were clipping or out-of-bounds issues that didn't affect gameplay too much (1-2 times over a whole 8 hours).”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, with certain maps exhibiting significant performance issues and a lack of polish. Reviewers suggest that additional development time could have addressed these shortcomings, including basic features like building visibility in fog of war. Overall, the optimization appears to be inadequate.
“The game needed 2-3 more months of polish and optimization, especially in areas like buildings in fog of war.”
“Certain maps have simply terrible optimization.”
“The game needed 2-3 more months of polish, optimization, and in some areas even basic features (e.g., buildings in fog of war).”
“They seem to not be optimized at all.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with players noting that the map creates a vibrant, immersive world rather than a confined space. The engaging environment contributes significantly to the overall experience, enhancing the game's appeal from the outset.
“The map atmosphere was amazing in my opinion; it didn't just feel like a box you were playing in, but a living world.”
“Nice game with a great atmosphere right from the beginning.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring an unrealistic amount of effort to progress.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“Grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a wholesome community that fosters positive interactions, though it is somewhat undermined by a perception of a lazy and self-centered development team.
Critic Reviews
Bannermen Review
Presumably some of the bugs and related issues might eventually get patched out; one thing that does not change though, is the core of the game. Given it is mostly a clone of a game over 15 years old, for all intents and purposes it is worse than <i[warcraft> all across the board. Almost every aspect of [i[Warcraft III is better than this game. This would need a massive overhaul to come close to recommending.
30%Bannermen Review
Bannermen’s appreciation of genre greats can be easily seen through the cracks in its shoddy construction. However, in between a single faction with a small, uninspired roster, bland story and writing, and very few options in terms of tactics and strategy, it’s tough to recommend. As rooted as it is in the genre’s past, it’s nowhere close to mastering what made RTS titles of yore great, ultimately being just a flimsy, soulless imitator.
40%Not the hero we deserve
Lord Berrian has the skills he needs to rebuild his kingdom and stop the evil Lord Karthor, but does he have what it takes to capture your heart in Bannermen? Our review.
40%
