Divided Reigns
- April 2, 2021
- Adam Dover
- 38h median play time
"Divided Reigns" is a real-time strategy game set in the medieval era. Players must build and manage their kingdom, expanding territory through strategic battles and diplomacy. The game features a dynamic campaign with various scenarios and challenging AI opponents. With a focus on historical accuracy, "Divided Reigns" offers a rich and immersive medieval strategy experience.
Reviews
- Divided Reigns offers a rich and engaging story with well-developed characters, reminiscent of classic JRPGs.
- The combat system is unique and strategic, requiring players to exploit enemy weaknesses and utilize various attack types effectively.
- The game features a nostalgic art style and soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, making it a joy for fans of retro RPGs.
- The game can be overly challenging, with some players finding the difficulty spikes frustrating and the random encounters tedious.
- There are occasional bugs and technical issues, such as crashes and UI problems, which can disrupt gameplay.
- The sheer number of attack types and mechanics can be overwhelming for new players, leading to confusion in combat.
- story149 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is a significant highlight, featuring well-developed characters and a compelling narrative that draws players in with its engaging twists and emotional depth. While it pays homage to classic JRPGs, it also incorporates mature themes and modern storytelling elements, resulting in a mix of predictable and surprising moments. Despite some criticisms regarding pacing and certain clichés, the overall consensus is that the story is captivating and well-crafted, making it a key reason to play the game.
“The story kept moving forward and never got dull.”
“The plot is well crafted, and the story threads all bind together nicely.”
“The story is definitely one of the best out there for me with the world building compared to most RPGs, it really is filled with mature and serious themes.”
“The story becomes nonsensical, very predictable, and very cheesy after the 25-hour mark.”
“It tries to present the story as deep and thoughtful, but it's ultimately just kind of dull and cliché.”
“However, parts of the game and the story felt very rushed and just like too much at once.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a deep and engaging turn-based combat system that emphasizes tactical depth and progression through various attack types and mechanics. While it offers a nostalgic JRPG experience with exploration and character development, players must pay close attention to enemy weaknesses and mechanics to avoid frustration. Overall, the game successfully combines traditional elements with innovative features, though some players feel the execution of these mechanics could be improved.
“Lots of fun and complex mechanics, no 'one-button-slays-all' logic, and a complex plot.”
“The gameplay is basically combat and exploration.”
“Gameplay: an in-depth combat system with numerous skills and abilities that progress in ability and power as you use them.”
“Be warned - if you're not attentive to the strengths and weaknesses of opponents and how the various combat mechanics interact, then even random battles are going to be frustrating.”
“Divided Reigns falls into the common trap of trying to improve on a well-established formula by tacking on new mechanics. This approach can work well when the additions are well thought out and applied in moderation, but in this case, it feels more like a classical JRPG with extra mechanics vomited over it.”
“The most frustrating part about this game is that it has this 'lazy' difficulty mechanics.”
- music29 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its outstanding quality and ability to evoke nostalgia reminiscent of classic JRPGs like Suikoden and Final Fantasy. While the soundtrack varies from decent to exceptional, it effectively enhances the game's atmosphere and storytelling, with some tracks being particularly memorable. Overall, the music is considered a significant highlight, contributing to the immersive experience despite the limitations of RPG Maker tools.
“The soundtrack is outstanding and does the genre proud; the battle system has plenty of nuance to it and the character customization is present but does not go overboard with things in that regard.”
“The music was cinematic, the graphics, animations, and mapping were pretty great!”
“The music is beautiful; some themes stayed with me long after a playing session.”
“Sound: it's RPG Maker, so you won't be getting a full orchestra on every track with choirs, but the music is instrumental. Even if synthesized, there are tracks with vocals that fit the mood very well.”
“Not quite Chrono Cross level music, but not far from it.”
“The music is adequate.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their polished quality and charming art style, showcasing significant effort in sprite and artwork design, especially considering it was developed by a small team using RPG Maker tools. Many reviewers appreciated the nostalgic, old-school aesthetic and the beautiful visuals that complement the engaging storyline and character development. Overall, the graphics are described as a standout feature that enhances the immersive experience of the game.
“The art style and soundtrack are great for a game mostly made by two people using RPG Maker tools.”
“Both the storyline and characters are charming, the aesthetics of the game are gorgeous (seriously some of the monster art is wicked cool), and it has an excellent balance of battle and story, which may be addictive and make you not want to stop playing.”
“The graphics are polished and it shows a lot of work went into the sprites and artwork.”
“The graphics are polished, and it shows a lot of work went into the sprites and artwork.”
“The full character artwork, which you only see on the status screen and when you level up, is a bit goofy, but that's a tiny complaint.”
“The music was cinematic, the graphics, animations, and mapping were pretty great!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while combat can be tedious and requires strategic attention to enemy weaknesses, it is not overwhelmingly punishing on regular difficulty. Some enjoy the tactical depth involved in switching weapons and adapting to challenges, though it may take some time to adjust. Overall, the grinding is seen as manageable rather than excessively burdensome.
“Combat is very bursty but still tedious.”
“That took about an hour of grinding, because the enemies were draining me dry by the end of every battle when I first showed up on the scene.”
“I'm playing on regular difficulty and it is enough to keep me on my toes but not overly grindy or punishing, just as long as you are paying attention to tactical battle advantages with the strikes and elements.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional connection to the characters and their well-crafted backstories, leading to investment in the story's themes of redemption and realistic consequences. Several pivotal plot points evoke genuine emotional responses, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
“I was emotional during several story scenes; the characters I became fully invested in, and their backstories were well-written (save for one party member that you only really got to know towards the end-game).”
“Without going into spoilers, there are some plot points with him that I am very glad the developers put in - a lot of games pass by them, but they seem like realistic consequences of his actions and emotional responses to his actions.”
“The story is an arc of redemption, full of twists and many emotional moments.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highly praised, with players noting its depth and engagement through a captivating mature story and rich lore within expansive dungeons. The combination of interesting gameplay and nostalgic elements enhances the overall experience, making character growth a standout feature.
“The dungeons are large without being overly so, and full of lore and opportunities for character development.”
“The best part of this game is the character development.”
“Captivating mature story, interesting character development, nice visuals, interesting gameplay, nostalgic of Final Fantasy free roam world exploring.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits some stability issues, including frequent freezes and bugs, along with spelling errors; however, many users still find it enjoyable enough to overlook these problems.
“Unfortunately, it freezes too often.”
“This is a little buggy and there are spelling errors, but it's still worth it to me.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game excels in optimization, particularly appealing to fans of JRPG mechanics, offering a robust and satisfying experience in this area.
“If you enjoy JRPG optimization, this game is a standout in that department.”
“The optimization mechanics are incredibly satisfying and add depth to the gameplay.”
“I love how the game encourages strategic planning and resource management for optimal performance.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, with exceptional mapping that enhances the RPG Maker experience, complemented by fitting music and a compelling plot that immerses players in the world.
“The mapping is definitely top-notch for an RPG Maker game, and you can feel the atmosphere clearly through the music and the plot.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy includes seasonal events that enhance gameplay, a feature often associated with games that utilize microtransactions.
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel intrusive, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content alongside optional purchases, making it accessible for everyone.”
“They even do seasonal events in-game, which you won't see in a game without microtransactions.”
“The monetization is so aggressive that it feels like the game is designed to push you into spending money.”
“It's frustrating to see essential content locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra.”