Empire Four Kingdoms
- March 12, 2013
- Goodgame Studios
Get on Play Store"Empire Four Kingdoms" is a strategy game involving single-player and multiplayer battles in a medieval setting. Build and expand your empire, plan strategic moves, and utilize powerful generals to gain an edge. Despite some bugs and grinding, the game offers impressive visuals, engaging music, and plenty of humor. The game's description highlights its award-winning status, empire-building features, and the importance of strategy in conquering new lands.
iPad
iPhone
Phone
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- graphics143 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the art style and overall visual appeal, while others criticize the quality as outdated or lacking detail. Many users express a desire for improvements, particularly in terms of depth and clarity, especially regarding building visuals and battle displays. Overall, while some find the graphics enjoyable, a significant number feel they need enhancement to match modern standards.
“Great game, great graphics, great gameplay, great strategy; everything about it is amazing.”
“I love the graphics; no issues or bugs or anything wrong with it.”
“Amazing controls, amazing gameplay, and amazing graphics for a phone game.”
“It looks like they just copied someone else's game and changed the graphics and words.”
“Graphics are just terribly bad; I couldn't even play for 10 minutes.”
“Monegrubbing is what this game was made for... and the graphics are dreadful.”
- monetization129 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 77 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users labeling it as a "pay-to-win" model that heavily relies on microtransactions and intrusive ads. Players report being bombarded with constant pop-up advertisements for in-game purchases, which disrupt gameplay and create a frustrating experience. While some users claim it's possible to play for free, they note that competing at higher levels without spending money is challenging and time-consuming.
“The microtransactions are cheap and worth the money.”
“Beautiful game... fun filled... in-game purchases are too expensive though, especially for low and middle-income people... that's what caused my 4-star instead of a 5-star rating.”
“By no means do you 'have' to make in-app purchases, but this may make the game too slow for some players.”
“It's a pay to win cash grab.”
“The ongoing technical problems, the glitches, the incessant popup ads and the lack of customer support render this almost masochistic.”
“Pay to play or be a target, too many pop ups and sale ads.”
- stability90 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting a multitude of persistent bugs and glitches that significantly disrupt gameplay. Frequent updates often introduce new issues rather than resolve existing ones, leading to frustration among users who feel that the developers prioritize profit over quality. While some players still enjoy the game, the overwhelming consensus is that its technical problems and lack of effective customer support detract from the overall experience.
“I love it! It's a really fun game and it has a great community. You should play it! I'm not the only one that thinks so; the devs did a great job. I've been playing it on my computer for years, and now it's on my phone. There are no glitches, so you can only play it legitimately. Have a great time playing it, and I hope you found this review helpful.”
“Extremely poor maintenance..constant glitches that go uncorrected for months going on years.”
“Riddled with glitches that only get worse with each update, rarely fixed.”
“Too many glitches with each update and everything seems to cost rubies or money to do.”
- gameplay81 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally described as enjoyable and engaging, with good graphics and mechanics, but it suffers from issues such as repetitiveness, clunky controls, and a heavy reliance on pay-to-win elements. Many players appreciate the strategic aspects and cooperative gameplay, but express frustration over intrusive ads, bugs, and the need for significant monetary investment to remain competitive. Overall, while the game has potential and can be fun, it is marred by monetization practices and technical shortcomings that detract from the overall experience.
“If you enjoy a more strategic style of gameplay, this is the game for you.”
“The gameplay is good and the way the game is created to work is excellent; overall, it's a great game.”
“Amazing controls, amazing gameplay, and amazing graphics for a phone game.”
“The gameplay was bad enough and now I feel like I waste a lot of my time.”
“If you're looking for buggy software, overly complex gameplay, pay-to-win 'rubies' sold to you through push advertisements that interrupt gameplay at all the worst times and put a high-pressure used car salesman to shame, then this game is for you.”
“Lags, bad gameplay, needs to be improved a lot!”
- story57 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over a lack of clear direction and overly monetized quests that require real money for progression. While some appreciate the variety of missions and cooperative elements, others find the narrative shallow and repetitive, leading to a sense of emptiness in the gameplay experience. Overall, the quest system is seen as needing significant improvement to enhance player engagement and satisfaction.
“Very interesting quest story plots.”
“The story mode and the events keep you active in the game and is fun to play.”
“Good game, real game build army, fight, and nice story of kings.”
“There is no direction...the quest menu needs to be improved. I start the game with no tutorial and no work tokens or gold to build with. I have no idea what to do or what work tokens are.”
“I hate this game; it's dumb and I can't believe one of the quests is to force you to buy gems for the game.”
“Felt like I never left the tutorial; the constant hand-holding with the quests made everything feel so limited.”
- music14 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its quality and emotional impact, while others express disappointment over the absence of the original soundtrack. Many users long for the return of previous music styles that they felt better matched the game's theme, while a few appreciate the current compositions. Overall, the music is generally well-received, but nostalgia for earlier tracks is a common sentiment among fans.
“I wanted to see the buildings, take my time, enjoy the scenery and music.”
“Wonderful castle, music, and map styles.”
“Frickin amazing love the music >3”
“Why did it change music?”
“1 star only to say by clicking an ad on YouTube for music, this p.o.s.”
“Phone....but does not open in this one....music can be heard but only loading screen appears”
- humor13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it funny and enjoyable, often highlighting amusing elements in gameplay and advertisements. However, some users express frustration with the game's balance, suggesting that the humor can be overshadowed by unfair mechanics, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. Overall, while the game has its comedic moments, opinions on its humor can vary significantly based on individual player experiences.
“Of all the games I've played, this one is funny.”
“I'm not fond of this kind of game, so my review is likely meaningless, but I liked their ad; I thought it was funny :p”
“Very nice and massive game; it is also funny and a lot of people like this game.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant lag, frame rate drops, and a generally poor user interface that detracts from the experience. Many players express frustration over the game's performance issues, particularly on Android devices, and feel that the developers prioritize monetization over improving gameplay. Overall, the lack of optimization is a major concern, leading to a less enjoyable experience for players.
“Optimized to challenge and keep you busy.”
“A bit less optimized for Android, so there are bugs; hence the 4 stars.”
“While I love the game and intend to keep playing, I wish the developers actually improved this game instead of looking for easy ways to make money on addicted players. Soon the game will have no new audience because there is no appeal to suffer this terrible performance and horrible user interface.”
“Needs better optimization!”
“I'd give 5 stars, but the game performance is really laggy.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with many players feeling that it is tedious and overly reliant on spending real money to progress effectively. While some enjoy the frequent offers available, the overall sentiment is that without significant financial investment, players face a frustratingly slow and repetitive experience, especially at higher levels where upgrades take an excessive amount of time. Additionally, the disparity between paying and non-paying players creates a challenging environment for those who choose to grind.
“Decent game but most certainly pay to win. I've played for 2 months and by spending real money I'm farther advanced than someone who's spent years grinding to level up. If you have no plans of dumping real cash into this game, you will learn very fast that this isn't for you. You will become a castle for people like myself to farm daily by attacking and killing all of your troops and damaging your buildings that you then must grind resources out to repair.”
“Unless you spend big money on the game, it's very tedious, tiresome, and repetitive; same stuff, different day.”
“This game is tedious, pricey, under rewarding, and lacks progress for higher levels.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game effectively fosters a sense of camaraderie that resonates with players, evoking a nostalgic feeling often absent in contemporary life.
“Creates an atmosphere of camaraderie that is missing in our current day.”
“The immersive environment draws you in, making you feel like part of the world.”
“The haunting soundtrack perfectly complements the visuals, enhancing the overall atmosphere.”
“Creates an atmosphere of camaraderie missing in our current day.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, failing to engage players.”
“Despite the setting, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to immerse the player.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling empowered and immersed in their roles as warriors, enhanced by the engaging gameplay and captivating music.
