Commands & Colors: Ancients
- September 12, 2018
- HexWar Games
- 23h median play time
Get on SteamCommands & Colors: Ancients is a turn-based strategy game simulating ancient battles. Players command troops divided into three sections, using orders and tactics to outmaneuver and outfight opponents. With historical scenarios and multiple armies, it offers a challenging and engaging experience for fans of ancient warfare.
Reviews
- Interesting mechanics that model ancient army combat while allowing player decision-making.
- Captures the flavor of ancient warfare and provides a fun experience despite its flaws.
- Offers a decent challenge with the AI, making it engaging for players who enjoy strategy games.
- The game is riddled with bugs, leading to frustrating gameplay and unimplemented rules.
- Poor AI performance and lack of multiplayer options diminish the overall experience.
- The interface is clunky and slow, making it difficult to navigate and enjoy the game fully.
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs, glitches, and frequent freezes reported by users. While some players find enjoyment despite these problems, the overall consensus is that the game is too unstable and poorly optimized to recommend for purchase until these issues are resolved.
“It is buggy and slow.”
“The game has been released in a very buggy state.”
“Too buggy to recommend a purchase until they iron out these problems.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered basic and lacking in detail, with many users noting a childish appearance, especially on larger monitors. Despite having a graphics quality setting that ranges from low to ultra, players report minimal differences between settings, leading to disappointment in the overall visual presentation. While some appreciate the concept, the graphical execution falls short of expectations for a game released in 2018.
“The game has a graphics quality setting, going from low to ultra.”
“In terms of concept and graphics, I like this game.”
“- Graphics are below even the threshold of what is expected of a wargame in 2018.”
“Graphics - pretty basic, especially when viewed on a 24" PC monitor.”
“As a result, the graphics lack detail and look rather childish.”
“Graphics are below even the threshold of what is expected of a wargame in 2018.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay features intriguing mechanics that simulate the uncertainties of ancient army combat while allowing players to make strategic decisions about their units. However, some users find the sound lacking and suggest that unit organization could be improved for clarity, particularly regarding unit strength visibility. Overall, despite minor control issues, the gameplay is considered engaging and worthwhile.
“Interesting mechanics that model the unknowns of ancient army combat while still providing the opportunity to make decisions on how to use your army.”
“The sound is sort of blah; I wish the units could be set up as blocks to match the game. Moving a leader can be a little wonky until you get used to it, but it's still well worth it in my opinion for the gameplay.”
“From a gameplay perspective, I (and I think most) would find it easier to tell at a glance a unit's remaining strength with blocks than have to deduce it from the type of unit and the number of figures left.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users suggest that the game's replayability could significantly improve with future updates, indicating that current limitations may hinder the overall experience.
“I feel that with some updates, this would be a much better and more playable game.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant usability issues, including slow performance and graphical user interface problems, such as poor color differentiation for unit types and difficulty in tracking remaining resources.
“Finally, as others have pointed out, there are significant usability problems with the game, from slow performance to GUI issues, such as inadequate use of color to distinguish unit types and difficulty in seeing the number of blocks remaining on a unit.”
