King Arthur: Legion IX
- May 9, 2024
- NeocoreGames
- 100h median play time
"King Arthur: Legion IX" is a turn-based tactical RPG set in the King Arthur: Knight's Tale universe, featuring a Roman-themed campaign. The game follows the Ninth Legion of Rome's invasion of Avalon, led by the fallen hero, Gaius Julius Mento, who seeks to establish Eternal Rome in the magical realm. This new story offers challenges for both new and returning players to the mythical land of Avalon.
Reviews
- The game retains the enjoyable turn-based combat mechanics from King Arthur: Knight's Tale, providing a familiar experience for fans.
- The new undead Roman theme adds a unique twist to the gameplay, making it an interesting setting for players.
- The price point is reasonable for the amount of content offered, making it a good value for fans of the genre.
- The voice acting and writing quality have significantly declined compared to the original game, detracting from the overall experience.
- Many features from King Arthur: Knight's Tale have been simplified or removed, leading to a less engaging gameplay experience.
- The game feels more like a DLC than a standalone title, with reused assets and a lack of new content or depth.
- story179 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in this game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging at first but ultimately feeling it lacks depth and coherence. Critics point out issues such as repetitive missions, a simplified morality system, and the use of AI voice acting that detracts from character immersion. While some appreciate the new characters and setting, others feel the narrative is underdeveloped and resembles more of a DLC than a standalone title, leading to a sense of disappointment compared to its predecessor.
“The story progressed logically.”
“The concept behind the story as to whether the demons leaned into their demonic natures or tried to redeem their humanity worked for me and it had effects on both the gameplay and scenarios, which meant it felt foregrounded rather than an excuse or afterthought.”
“The storyline was awesome and kept me wanting to know more.”
“The story doesn't make any sense either.”
“The 'story' in regards to the quests barely exists, and quite abruptly comes to an end.”
“The game is incredibly underwhelming; the story itself is actually really interesting, however, it is horribly told.”
- gameplay71 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this title is largely reminiscent of its predecessor, featuring familiar mechanics and combat systems, but with notable simplifications and the removal of certain features like the morality system and injury mechanics. While some players appreciate the new storylines and added mechanics, many feel that the overall experience lacks depth and variety, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Despite these criticisms, the core gameplay loop remains enjoyable, particularly for fans of the original game.
“The tactical gameplay is similar to the original, but the new classes (with a mix of new and old abilities) and the ultimate system give it a freshness and new depth.”
“More great King Arthur gameplay, with some new surprises and interesting mechanics.”
“But the gameplay is still fun.”
“Most of the visuals, characters, enemies, and mechanics are recycled from the first game.”
“A large amount of mechanics have been removed, the writing and voice acting are noticeably worse, and almost all the maps are copy-pasted from the first game.”
“The gameplay gets old pretty quickly with no new mechanics really added after the first couple of missions.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many noting that they closely resemble those of the original title, featuring minimal new assets and a lack of graphical options. While some players appreciate the attractive art style and quality audiovisuals, others feel that the visuals are decent but not groundbreaking, suggesting that improvements are needed. Overall, the graphics are considered satisfactory but could benefit from further enhancement.
“High on style, it's an attractive looking title with quality audiovisuals.”
“Neocore games does a very good job with the graphics, and the tactical combat in the original game and this are very good.”
“The atmosphere and graphics are good.”
“No graphics options.”
“Most of the visuals, characters, enemies, and mechanics are recycled from the first game.”
“Almost no new graphical assets and terrain types.”
- music11 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its excellence and ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly during battles. While some note a slight decline compared to previous titles, the soundtrack remains a standout feature that many players enjoy and listen to outside of the game. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, despite some criticisms regarding content and gameplay.
“The music, one of my stand-out favorites from KT that I still listen to on Spotify, has some tracks that are as solid here... perhaps a bit less, but not by much.”
“The music, by the way, is excellent.”
“The soundtrack is brilliant, the Rome vibe is good, and battles are enjoyable.”
“Same game as the previous one with new skins/music; they even reused the same maps without changing the look/feel. It's a big disappointment... less content than the previous game, poor voiceover, and a less detailed decision tree (good/bad). Fine to purchase if you liked the previous game, but expect to be disappointed.”
“I usually just turn the music off, but I keep it low in the background for Legion and enjoy the atmosphere.”
“Mostly because of the characters and music.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently described as dark and immersive, enhancing the overall experience with its compelling storylines and unique character skills. Players appreciate the atmospheric elements, which contribute to a sense of continuity with previous titles in the series, while also enjoying the background music that complements the mood. Overall, the atmosphere is highlighted as a standout feature, enriching the gameplay and engagement.
“Absolute brilliant and atmospheric turn-based game.”
“I usually just turn music off, but I keep it low in the background for Legion and enjoy the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere and graphics are good.”
“Not only is the atmosphere of this game dreary and dark, but the storylines and subplots are as well.”
“I am not very far into it, but it feels like the other game in the series in terms of atmosphere and UI, making it feel more like an expansion, and the price reflects that as well.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by poorly executed voice acting and a disjointed writing style that attempts to blend quippy jokes with a grimdark setting, resulting in a mismatch that often falls flat. Additionally, some gameplay mechanics, like the lack of temporary health and a peculiar chain mechanic, detract from the overall comedic experience.
“The writing tries to be quippy and funny while the background is trying to sell a grimdark universe.”
“The voice acting is still as hilariously bad as in the core game.”
“Lack of temporary HP and a funny chain mechanic which allows you to kill a unit for free changes a lot even in the very first battle.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game's replayability is limited due to a lack of dynamic elements that alter the core campaign experience, with no mutually exclusive heroes to recruit and a simplified moral axis. This results in a lower incentive to replay the game beyond exploring the morality arc.
“The replay value is enhanced by the variety of choices you can make, leading to different outcomes and experiences each time you play.”
“Replayability is high due to the diverse paths and strategies available, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“The game encourages multiple playthroughs with its branching storylines and character interactions, keeping the experience fresh.”
“Replay value is low; apart from the morality arc, there are no real dynamic aspects to change up the core experience of the campaign.”
“Replayability is significantly diminished, as there are no mutually exclusive heroes to recruit, and the moral axis is reduced to just two sides.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, particularly targeting fans of the original title, which has left some players feeling disappointed and exploited.
“Cash grab aimed at the fans of the first game.”
“I was excited about this game since I loved Knights Tale, but this game is a cash grab.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to repetitive battles in the endgame content, which can feel hollow. However, they still regard the overall experience as enjoyable despite these shortcomings.
“The campaign is not long, and the endgame content is a bit hollow and tedious due to too many repetitive battles.”
“Grinding feels like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay motivated to continue playing.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is reported to be mostly bug-free, providing a smooth gameplay experience without any game-breaking issues.
“It's mostly bug-free, with nothing game-breaking, which makes for a smooth gameplay experience.”
“The game runs incredibly stable, allowing me to focus on the gameplay without interruptions.”
“I've experienced very few crashes, which is a testament to the developers' commitment to stability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that while the game initially sets up a potentially deep emotional narrative, it ultimately feels rushed, leading to a lack of emotional depth and resolution in the story.
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game features minimal character development, as it primarily focuses on a consistent set of party members without significant growth or evolution throughout the gameplay.
“It's a party game with the same party members and very little in terms of character development.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
“There are no significant choices that impact character arcs, making the development feel stagnant.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been criticized for its poor performance, leading to a subpar experience for users.
“The game suffers from very poor performance.”
“Optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops.”
“The game runs poorly even on high-end hardware.”