Four Kings One War
- July 25, 2021
- StaplesVR
Get on SteamFour Kings One War is a 2 player strategy game inspired by chess. Each player controls two armies as though they were one and get's two moves per turn. This opens up guerrilla style tactics and hidden attacks. This is strategy for the modern mind, outside the 64th square.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique twist on traditional chess, with interesting mechanics like double moves for knights and enhanced pawn movement.
- Visually appealing environments enhance the gaming experience, despite some levels being too dark.
- As a free-to-play game, it provides an opportunity for chess enthusiasts to explore a new variant without financial risk.
- The user interface and navigation are clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to enjoy the game.
- The game suffers from slow piece movement and long turn times, which can lead to frustration during play.
- There is a lack of player base, making multiplayer experiences rare and often leading to long wait times for matches.
- graphics15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users noting that while the non-UI visuals can be pleasant, overall performance is hindered by freezing and lag, even on low settings. Many players report that the game is resource-intensive, causing their hardware to overheat, and the limited graphical options do not significantly improve performance or visual quality. Overall, the graphics are considered subpar, especially for a game that should not demand high resources.
“The non-UI graphics are surprisingly pleasant.”
“Graphic had 4 levels and was so good but with low details.”
“It can look pretty when the graphics are set to 'fantastic' but even on the 'lowest' graphical options, I can hear both my CPU and GPU fans really loud and that really shouldn’t happen when playing a chess game.”
“Even though I set the graphics to 'low', the game feels heavy, it freezes and lags, and to be honest, the graphics aren't that great to be felt this way.”
“Might be a graphics bug or poor coding.”
“The graphic settings did not seem to do much.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its poor optimization, leading to significant performance issues that hinder the overall experience, even in a genre like chess where such problems are unexpected.
“I can’t properly review this game because it’s poorly optimized.”
“Because this game is very badly optimized.”
“How can a chess game even be badly optimized?”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily based on a chess-like mechanic, which some players find satisfactory; however, there is a desire for a four-player format with teams, rather than the current two-player setup.
“The gameplay is okay, but I wish it was 4 players with one team for each instead of 2 players on 2 teams.”
“Overall, the game mechanics are mostly like chess.”
“The gameplay is okay, but I wish it was 4 players with one team for each instead of 2 players and 2 teams.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, including frequent freezing and lag, even at low graphics settings. The game is particularly problematic in VR mode, rendering it nearly unplayable despite low GPU usage, indicating a need for substantial fixes.
“Even though I set the graphics to 'low', the game feels heavy, it freezes and lags. To be honest, the graphics aren't that great to be experiencing these issues.”
“The reason I got this game was to play chess in VR, but the game is very buggy. Trying to play in VR makes the game lag and almost unplayable, yet my GPU isn't being used past 20%. The game needs to be fixed before I try it again.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story aspect is perceived as unoriginal, with users noting that the developer's rationale for switching from a paid to a free model reflects a common narrative seen in many games.
“The developer explains why they switched from a paid to a free model; reading between the lines, it's the same story we see everywhere.”
“The plot twists were predictable and lacked any real depth, making the overall experience feel stale.”
“The characters were one-dimensional and failed to evoke any emotional connection, leaving the story feeling flat.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly through the ghost characters who creatively showcase the amusing ways in which pieces are eliminated. This adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the gameplay experience.
“The ghost characters showcase hilarious ways that pieces were eliminated, adding a unique twist to the gameplay.”
“I love how the ghost characters display their comedic flair when pieces are taken out; it keeps the atmosphere light and fun.”
“The humorous elimination animations featuring the ghost characters are a delightful surprise that always make me laugh.”
