Kingdom Wars
- April 1, 2013
- Reverie World Studios
- 24h median play time
Get on Steam"Kingdom Wars" is a real-time strategy game set in a fantasy world with humans, elves, and orcs. Players build and manage their own kingdom, gather resources, and train armies to fight in battles against AI or other players. The game features a single-player campaign, multiplayer modes, and a detailed graphics engine for immersive gameplay.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a lot of potential and offers a unique blend of RTS and MMO elements.
- Players can build and customize their own kingdoms while engaging in both PvE and PvP battles.
- The community is friendly and supportive, with active developers who respond to player feedback.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.
- The user interface is clunky and not very intuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate.
- There are significant issues with unit pathfinding and AI behavior during battles, leading to frustrating experiences.
- story283 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as having a mix of engaging lore and repetitive quests, with some players enjoying the narrative while others find it flat and uninspired. Many reviews highlight the challenges posed by bugs and connection issues that disrupt quest progression, leading to frustration. Overall, while the game offers a variety of quests and a fantasy setting that appeals to some, the execution of the story and quest mechanics leaves much to be desired, often resulting in a grindy experience.
“I really enjoyed the story and the city building was fun.”
“The graphics aren't the best, but the gameplay is fun, and the storyline is eventful.”
“The thematic fantasy style brings to light many different stories that could easily fit just about any medieval genre, from Lord of the Rings to Elder Scrolls, or even Dungeons and Dragons.”
“The storyline is completely flat and boring.”
“The story mode has a certain point where it bottlenecks and stops with anything but the same missions; the lore is lackluster, the graphics only subpar, and let's not even get into the connection issues.”
“The game's story and lore are unimaginative and yawn-inducing, with generic, Tolkien-esque knockoff vibes stemming from the three main factions: the humans, the elves, and the orcs/goblins.”
- graphics264 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are dated and reminiscent of older titles, often likening them to early 2000s visuals. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and find the graphics acceptable for gameplay, others criticize the poor optimization, glitches, and lack of modern graphical features. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics may not be top-tier, they do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the game, especially for those focused on gameplay rather than visuals.
“The graphics are great, now I have a powerhouse machine so I can't really speak if there is lag or frame rate issues as I get max all the time.”
“The graphics look great, the textures look very impressive, and well.”
“The art style and looking is quite colorful and lively, your town shines with activity from the very beginning.”
“Terrible optimization with terrible visuals is such a mess.”
“The graphics are so poor you sometimes can't pick out smaller units from the terrain.”
“The graphics look like the game is from 2004 or earlier and even lags on high-end systems sometimes or units begin to rather glitch instead of proper walking sometimes.”
- gameplay222 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its strategic elements and mechanics, while others criticize it for being slow-paced, buggy, and plagued by pay-to-win mechanics. Some users enjoy the depth of city management and combat, but find the execution lacking due to technical issues and unbalanced unit pricing. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects to the gameplay, significant improvements are needed to address the numerous complaints regarding mechanics and performance.
“The gameplay is fun, and slightly addicting, yet it's also enjoyable to log off and next time you log in you have the resources gathered by your peasants while away, to get right back to work at building your kingdom.”
“I love this game because it combined the resource gathering and dependent villagers/peasant workers from Age of Empires with a beautifully done epic medieval warfare gameplay that is reminiscent of those epic scenes from Lord of the Rings.”
“The gameplay is fun building a castle and marching your army on others; just an overall great game.”
“The gameplay and technical issues make it a chore to play.”
“The mechanics and the gameplay are unbelievably stupid; I'd refuse to recommend this to anyone.”
“The gameplay is buggy, and the pathfinding on units is atrociously bad.”
- stability98 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Many players express frustration over unaddressed problems, such as freezing during gameplay, pathfinding errors, and broken quests, leading to a consensus that the game feels unfinished and poorly maintained. Despite some enjoyment of the gameplay mechanics, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game's stability issues significantly hinder its potential.
“Here’s the real deal-breaker: the game is buggy as hell.”
“Bought this game a long time ago when it came out and thought I would give it another try; nothing has changed and it is still buggy as hell.”
“The game is terribly buggy; some units walk across the sky in sieges, some walk over mountains, and the pathfinding is not that great.”
- grinding34 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being slow, tedious, and often requiring excessive time investment to progress, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the unique features and the potential for fun in battles, the overwhelming need to farm resources and manage units can lead to frustration and boredom. Additionally, the game is perceived as heavily leaning towards a pay-to-win model, making the grind feel even more burdensome for free-to-play users.
“And it isn't too grindy as you can try new things every attack and the quests rotate missions.”
“So although many of the sieges are similar, they are not tedious, and since some players have been at this game for a year or two, it is sustainable. As things go, I think I might be found here in this land in a few years' time too.”
“Overall I’d say this game would fall amongst the better of its category, although this game is from the multiplayer side of things a very tedious and long grind even with the starting packs.”
“So yeah, have fun farming for hundreds of hours just to get anywhere in this game.”
“It's not worth the grinding, and the grinding is required.”
- optimization24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting severe performance issues, bugs, and a poorly designed user interface that detracts from the overall experience. Despite some improvements over time, many players experience significant lag and crashes, particularly on the Steam version, leading to frustration even on capable hardware. Overall, the game's optimization remains a major concern, impacting gameplay and enjoyment.
“You choose 3 traits at the start to customize your race's performance.”
“Either way, your choice of region and traits will play an immense factor in the performance of your strategies.”
“The graphics, performance, and the gameplay itself have gradually improved over time, with updates coming out frequently enough for a game you only pay for once.”
“Terrible optimization with terrible visuals is such a mess.”
“Not to mention it's poorly optimized and lags like hell on a good computer.”
“The game suffers from bugs which really ruin the game experience; it's badly optimized, the UI is horribly designed – everything is really small and it's hard to find what you need when using it.”
- monetization23 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model features a mix of microtransactions, primarily for cosmetic items and premium content, but many players find that in-game currency can be earned through gameplay, reducing the necessity for purchases. While some users appreciate the balance between free and paid content, others express frustration over the prevalence of microtransactions, particularly for essential upgrades and resources, leading to concerns about a potential pay-to-win scenario. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as a double-edged sword, with the game's quality overshadowed by its aggressive microtransaction strategy.
“The game is great so far; it has a little bit of microtransactions, but it is really easy to get the currency with in-game money. If the devs give this one a bit of attention, adding more content and fixing some stuff, it could very well become a banger since there is nothing like it out there. A great choice for anyone that wants an MMO and RTS in the same package!”
“While the game encourages some microtransactions to get ahead, they may not be needed at this point if you get in with a good alliance.”
“I like how the city grows and how the in-game currency is farmable and not just for in-game purchases.”
“Awkward monetization aside (read: money grab attempt but fairly balanced versus the cost of the original title) there are some very interesting and commendable principles in play that were failed by the execution of development.”
“This freemium frankenstein is not worth even the time invested, no matter how many in-game purchases of some crappy reskin of your lame hero.”
“PVP side I wouldn't recommend it since it has an in-game store which breaks it; people can buy a chest and become a pain in the ass more or less right away. It boosts people up since you need a resource called crowns which you get from quests and other means, but you can also get a lot by doing in-game purchases.”
- music21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its fitting medieval and Scottish influences, while others find it repetitive and grating over time. Many users suggest that the soundtrack lacks variety and can become monotonous, leading to a desire to turn it off or replace it with personal music. Overall, while the music complements the game's setting, it could benefit from more diversity to enhance the experience.
“The city management is relaxing and the music is a mix of Scottish and English and it sounds nice.”
“The music fits the time period this is set in and doesn't disappoint, although more variety would be needed.”
“Sounds and music are really good too; my Pandora stopped playing and I forgot because I got distracted by the in-game music.”
“The music can stop playing at any moment, and then you can really feel how empty this game feels; sounds are very sparse and not particularly good.”
“Music-wise, I would not applaud in any case; the music has the feel for the setting but seems to drag on and on with the same simple tune, only to randomly change once you engage in combat or go to a different city.”
“The sounds and music repeat frequently and almost follow a definable rhythm, which makes the experience feel monotonous.”
- humor14 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its numerous glitches and bugs, which some players find amusing despite their disruptive nature. The dialogue and character interactions, particularly the town elder's instructions, add a layer of comedic charm, while the game's quirky mechanics and unexpected moments contribute to its overall lightheartedness. However, the humor is sometimes overshadowed by the game's lack of polish and technical issues, leading to a mixed reception regarding its comedic elements.
“Its a pretty game but there are a few funny looking things, mainly the walls and faces of people.”
“I chose humans because I always do; you start off by having a village and a town elder instructing you how to manage it with a very funny and old language.”
“Siege weapons are inaccurate but funny, and they do a lot of damage. What's cool is they use resources to fire.”
“This game has so many bugs it's not funny; do not spend any money on this game, they will delete your stuff!”
“The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced, making it more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off, leaving me more confused than amused.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game boasts significant replayability due to its diverse factions—humans, orcs, and elves—each offering unique strengths and extensive quest lines, contributing to varied play styles and experiences. While many players appreciate the depth and active development, some critique the focus on breadth over user interface improvements, which may affect overall playability. Overall, it is recognized as a solid title with ample replay value, though opinions on the enjoyment of quest lines vary.
“This game offers a ton of replay value, rich lore, cool faction units, and epic PvE and PvP battles ranging from sieges to open fields.”
“If I were to rate this game, I would give it a solid 7.5 out of 10. The game has too much replay value and is definitely a trendsetter in the strategy game department.”
“I think the designers have made some bad choices here and there, in that instead of improving on the UI and deepening the game, they have gone for breadth and made more races, which, although it adds replayability, doesn't improve playability.”
“It is definitely a game with plenty of replay value because you can play as three different factions: the humans, orcs, and elves.”
“Each faction has a very generous quest line which I estimate to be around 30+ hours worth per side, not counting replayable missions.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with players noting it as one of the most immersive RTS experiences they've encountered. The realistic environment effectively draws players into the intensity of the siege, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
“One of the most atmospheric RTS games I've played, and I've played a lot.”
“A realistic atmosphere makes you feel like you're inside the siege!”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and fails to immerse you in the game world.”
“Despite the potential, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
“The game's atmosphere is dull and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game features impressive graphics, players have encountered frustrating bugs that can detract from the experience. However, the responsive and supportive community, particularly the moderators who promptly address issues like lost resources, contributes positively to the emotional experience, leaving players feeling valued and satisfied.
“As far as reliability is concerned, I've faced a couple of heartbreaking bugs whereby my hard-earned gold disappeared in transit - but - within a few minutes of putting my problem on the general chat channel, rather polite and decent moderators refunded my resources and left me a happy elf, swimming Scrooge McDuck style in my pile of gold again.”
