Conquest of Elysium 3
- October 24, 2012
- Illwinter Game Design
- 12h median play time
Get on SteamConquest of Elysium 3 is a turn-based fantasy strategy game with various races, each having unique mechanics, units, and objectives, ranging from druids focusing on forest empire to dwarves concerned with mines and unit upgrades. The game offers a simple surface with hidden depths, including complex decision-making and risky endeavors. With 18 distinct factions, players will experience vastly different gameplay styles, ensuring variety and replayability .
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a surprising amount of depth and variety with 17 unique factions, each with distinct playstyles and mechanics.
- Despite its simple graphics and interface, the gameplay is engaging and addictive, providing a fun experience for fans of turn-based strategy.
- The random events and challenges keep the gameplay fresh, making each session feel unique and encouraging replayability.
- The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics without reading the manual.
- Graphics and sound design are outdated and may deter players who prefer modern aesthetics in games.
- The game can be punishingly difficult, with random wildlife and events often leading to unexpected losses, which can be frustrating for players.
- graphics71 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple, basic, and reminiscent of retro styles, often eliciting mixed reactions from players. While some find the pixel art charming and adequate for gameplay, many criticize the visuals as outdated and lacking polish, suggesting that those who prioritize high-quality graphics may be disappointed. Overall, the consensus is that the graphics serve their purpose but are not a highlight of the game, with gameplay depth being the main draw for players willing to overlook the visual shortcomings.
“The graphics are simple but in this pixel renaissance of indie games, I find them pretty charming.”
“The graphics are charming but primitive.”
“The graphics are not top-notch, but if you grew up on 90's gaming, the nostalgia is great!”
“The graphics and sound department is ultra basic, so if that matters to you, don't waste your time.”
“Awful graphics that a 6-year-old could do better.”
“Graphics are abysmal.”
- gameplay46 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a steep learning curve due to its depth and variety, featuring a wide roster of classes and factions that offer distinct mechanics and playstyles. While some players appreciate the strategic complexity and replayability, others criticize the outdated graphics and interface, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, many find the gameplay engaging and rewarding, especially for fans of turn-based strategy games.
“The good news is that the gameplay itself is great, replayability is huge, and most of the possible sides differ greatly from one another in so far as the best ways to play them.”
“It is all there - a customizable, randomly generated game world filled with interesting places scattered throughout a vast wilderness to explore; armies formed of a myriad of different creatures, led by powerful commanders; game mechanics straightforward enough to grasp for new players, yet hiding remarkable depth.”
“The gameplay is fun, the various leader classes are diverse and nuanced, and the combination of roguelike elements and turn-based strategy is very satisfying.”
“But then the clunky interface would strike or the ancient game mechanics or the old (not old-school but old) graphics would take away the enjoyment.”
“I can deal with the graphics being worse than games from 20 years ago, but I can't tolerate that the gameplay is worse than ancient games like Master of Magic.”
“If you're not a huge fan of those genres, the cumbersome UI and punishing mechanics will leave you raging at your computer.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with diverse maps, numerous factions, and a variety of classes that significantly alter gameplay experiences. Players can enjoy randomly generated worlds and a multitude of choices, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique and engaging. Overall, the game's design encourages repeated play, making it a standout in terms of replay value.
“The randomly generated worlds and large number of choices for playable nations give it such a high replayability that it's well worth the asking price.”
“Add to those 17 classes the epic number & variety of wandering independent monsters and the fact that maps are randomly generated (a map editor is included to create your own, as well) and the replayability value of the game is pretty impressive!”
“The many factions and eras offer a high degree of replayability.”
“This game is replayable over and over again, with a lot of variations available and random maps.”
“Illwinter has made many improvements from Conquest of Elysium 2 and at the cheap price of ten dollars, it could be argued that this game beats many modern strategy games in terms of features and replayability.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game generally fits the background and is described as cool, but it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of variety, leading to a somewhat monotonous experience. While some users appreciate the operatic soundtrack, others find the overall sound design, including battle effects, to be lacking and unexciting.
“The operatic soundtrack isn't bad.”
“The music is good, but each attack of the same type sounds exactly the same.”
“Music is cool too.”
“The music fits the background, but can be repetitive.”
“The game went completely silent on me after the only track of music failed to loop back.”
“Music is also not very exciting.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, primarily revolving around the objective of destroying opponents' capital cities, with little narrative depth or context provided. Players often create their own stories through gameplay experiences, influenced by various game mechanics and unit interactions. While some find the lack of a structured story disappointing, others enjoy the gameplay's focus on strategy over narrative.
“I'd never have made up that little story if there weren't so many status effects, magic items, buffs and curses, and so very many enemy types available to mix and match.”
“If the developer created a story mode, I would be intrigued even more.”
“Coe3 doesn't really have a story; all you need to know is that you have to destroy the capital city of the other players.”
“It's a remake of the game Ragnarok from the 90s - and it's addictive if you're into TBS games with minimal graphics and story.”
“Rather than attempting to describe the many factions or the different eras that you can play in, as well as the many ways to go about engineering total domination, I'd rather relate an impromptu story that I discovered while playing.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by its retro charm and whimsical scenarios, such as a blind goblin archer missing all his shots, which adds a comedic touch to the gameplay. However, players find it frustrating that the game lacks clear indicators for unit injuries, requiring manual checks to discover such amusing situations.
“The game is hilariously retro; it is basically the fantasy world conquest game that everyone would have made in 1978 if the technology had allowed it.”
“About injuries - have you read the funny review for this game by the guy who was using goblin archers, and they all died except for one, who turned out to be missing all his shots because he was blind in both eyes?”
“That's a funny story, but it's a huge nuisance that the game doesn't indicate that a unit has been crippled unless you manually check each one.”
