Conquest of Elysium 5
- August 16, 2021
- Illwinter Game Design
- 138h median play time
Conquest of Elysium 5 is a turn-based strategy game that offers a variety of factions, each with unique abilities and units. The game features a randomly generated world, deep strategic gameplay, and a focus on micromanagement for resource allocation and unit control. Players must balance exploration, expansion, and conquest to achieve victory.
Reviews
- The game offers a vast variety of factions, each with unique mechanics and playstyles, providing high replayability.
- The atmosphere and lore are rich, with humorous and engaging unit descriptions that enhance the experience.
- The game features a blend of roguelike elements and strategy, allowing for emergent storytelling and unexpected events.
- The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the game.
- The AI can be inconsistent, often dying early to neutral forces or making poor decisions during battles.
- There is a lack of meaningful tutorials or documentation, leaving players to learn through trial and error.
- gameplay146 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its deep mechanics and high replayability, offering a variety of unique factions, each with distinct playstyles and abilities. While the core gameplay loop is accessible and engaging, some players find certain mechanics frustrating or unbalanced, particularly due to the influence of random events. Overall, it provides a rich strategic experience that appeals to fans of complex, emergent gameplay, though it may not be for everyone due to its steep learning curve and occasional lack of clarity in mechanics.
“The gameplay mechanics are intuitive and accessible, making it easy for both seasoned strategy game veterans and newcomers to pick up and play.”
“There's an unbelievable amount of gameplay depth here.”
“The gameplay, the lore, the different mechanics between playable sides, combat, magic, everything is super cool and unique and fun; every decision you make feels impactful.”
“Half- , no, 80% of the effort put into this game was on the unit and item descriptions, but unlike Dark Souls, this game does not have gameplay to back it up.”
“The main problem I have is that games are too short; I want to explore the mechanics of this universe but I am forced to ignore all of the cool features like advanced spells and different realms in order to focus on a mediocre strategy game that is relatively easy to beat.”
“The gameplay is unbelievably shallow, and general implementation is lacking.”
- graphics90 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are largely described as simplistic and reminiscent of the late 90s, often criticized for being outdated and minimalistic. However, many players emphasize that the graphics serve the gameplay well, allowing for deep mechanics and a rich sandbox experience that prioritizes content over visual appeal. While some find the user interface clunky and the visuals lacking, others appreciate the charm and character of the art style, suggesting that those who can overlook the graphics will find a rewarding and engaging strategy game.
“The attention to detail in the game's visuals is astounding, drawing you into a world teeming with mythical creatures, enchanting forests, and sprawling landscapes.”
“Its breathtaking visuals, deep gameplay mechanics, and engrossing narrative combine to create an experience that is nothing short of awe-inspiring.”
“Don't let the simple graphics and simplistic looking nature of the surface fool you.”
“The graphics are very minimalistic and fitting since so much is happening.”
“The graphics aren't much but the game is deep and interesting.”
“The coe series would be a top dog in 4x/strategy games if not for the very simplistic graphics and interface.”
- replayability34 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional replayability, driven by a diverse selection of factions, randomly generated maps, and a robust modding community that adds endless content. Players appreciate the depth and variety in gameplay, with many noting that the unique mechanics and interactions among numerous races and classes contribute to an experience that can last for hundreds of hours. Overall, it is considered one of the most replayable games available, offering a fresh experience with each playthrough.
“With a wide selection of factions to choose from, each with its own unique strengths and abilities, the game offers an incredible amount of replayability.”
“Excellent game, with near-infinite replayability due to the many different possible ages of the world, the randomly generated maps of varying size, and the very numerous civilizations.”
“Honestly, one of the most replayable games I've ever played. I only wish that the modding community had more done, but in the end, I understand that such things take time and the game isn't that old.”
“This game shows a surprising amount of depth and replayability in a very small package.”
“It has a high amount of replayability, with randomly generated maps for each new run, and dozens of unique factions in the base game.”
- story21 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is characterized by rich lore and emergent storytelling, allowing players to create their own narratives through gameplay mechanics and character interactions. While some players appreciate the depth and organic storytelling potential, others feel that the game lacks a cohesive narrative, especially in the early stages. Overall, it offers a blend of role-playing elements and random events that contribute to a unique storytelling experience, though not all players find it engaging.
“The game offers a rich lore that unfolds as you progress, immersing you in a captivating story that unravels the secrets of Elysium.”
“If you like emergent storytelling, this game is definitely worth a look.”
“This is a game of emergent storytelling, that is of endless permutations.”
“There isn't a story, or even events or really anything happening for that matter for the time I played. Maybe you need to get deeper in for that, but on this store page, it clearly states and builds up to the phrase 'your hands will be full before you even make contact with the enemy,' which is not true at all. All there is is the 'enemy.' All in all, you just select drawings then click on other drawings to make other drawings appear and occasionally buy more drawings.”
“This is the end of his story, a story of a man who dreamt big, but didn't wear any equipment that could have prevented this terrible death.”
“Somewhere between battle mechanics of an RTS and story-making elements of a 4X.”
- music19 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its high quality and thematic coherence, creating an immersive atmosphere reminiscent of classic titles like Heroes of Might and Magic III. However, some players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive due to the recycling of tracks, and there are calls for the inclusion of music from previous entries in the series. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features, enhancing the game's appeal.
“The game also has very nice music!”
“The best part of the game for me was the music for the enchanter class: very nice, and reminiscent of Might and Magic.”
“Overall great game and amazing soundtrack, highly recommended!”
“However, what made me feel compelled to write a review is the soundtrack of this game.”
“X: high price for lacking quality in areas of sound, music, and a few other less notable aspects of the overall game design.”
“Visual style reminds of HOMAM III, music of something Celtic.”
- humor15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its clever writing, amusing lore, and entertaining mechanics that often lead to unexpected and funny situations. Many reviews note the game's ability to blend humor with organic storytelling, making the experience both enjoyable and engaging. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, enhancing the charm of the game's world and characters.
“Or the time a portal to hell opened up and wave after wave of demons got greeted by hordes of fire ants that my funny lizards couldn't exterminate before they got out of hand.”
“Everything is ridiculously polished, and you can click on literally any rock and find easter eggs, often in the form of humorous flavor text.”
“It is also extremely rich in content, with hilarious lore attached to nearly every creature.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the late game where recovering from setbacks, managing territory, and dealing with slow units can feel overwhelming. The micromanagement required, especially when facing independent factions, detracts from the overall enjoyment and pacing, leading to a sense of monotony. Some factions mitigate this issue with AI-controlled minions, but the core experience remains bogged down by repetitive tasks and the potential for catastrophic losses.
“Late game feels incredibly tedious since indies constantly steal away your owned territory (in some cases you just lose hamlets seemingly for no reason).”
“The end game is tedious, with the necessity of covering large distances with slow units.”
“I probably missed some stuff but the tedious micromanagement of territory in some cases and bad pacing are two very glaring problems with the game that stand out the most to me.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its rich atmosphere, which, despite simpler systems and a lack of visual flair, offers a profound depth that resonates with players. Many reviewers find it difficult to articulate the unique ambiance, highlighting its immersive qualities.
“While the systems are simpler than many other games in the genre, the game oozes atmosphere.”
“For newcomers: the game is clearly not a visual experience, but it has an amazing depth and an atmosphere I cannot describe.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its impactful soundtrack, which resonates deeply with players. Additionally, the developers' engagement with the political context of the player's country adds a layer of emotional investment, though some may find the topical humor to be fleeting and potentially off-putting.
“The soundtrack of this game truly compelled me to write a review.”
“I am very flattered that two guys from Sweden have a deep enough emotional investment in the politics of my country.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development is minimal and varies by class, with players noting that it can take 50-100 turns before any significant progress is made.
“There is some minuscule character development, depending on your class.”
“In my experience, we're easily talking 50-100 turns until you're able to do any meaningful character development at all.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect is positively viewed, particularly due to the introduction of a workshop feature that facilitates easier advertising of mods, enhancing user engagement and potential revenue opportunities for creators.