Legends of Eisenwald

56%
Game Brain Score Based on 452 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Legends of Eisenwald Game Cover
Legends of Eisenwald is a slightly rough-hewn romp through Germanic legend that's engaging and entertaining despite its lack of depth.
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"Legends of Eisenwald is a single-player historical turn-based strategy game with RPG and tactical battle elements, set in a dark and atmospheric medieval world. The unique combat system offers dynamic battles, and you can customize each fighter in your army. Though there are no elves or dragons, the world is filled with superstitions and the tangible forms of human passions, sins, and fears. The Knight's Edition includes an artbook and OST in MP3 and FLAC formats."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

56%
Audience ScoreBased on 452 reviews
story120 positive mentions
stability18 negative mentions
  • The game features a well-written story with rich lore and engaging characters, drawing players into a medieval German setting.
  • Combat is tactical and requires strategic planning, with a variety of unit types and skills that can be customized and upgraded.
  • The game offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic turn-based strategy games like Heroes of Might and Magic and Disciples.
  • The pathfinding and movement mechanics can be frustrating, often leading to tedious gameplay as players struggle to navigate the map.
  • Players lose all companions and most gear at the end of each chapter, which can feel disheartening and disrupt the sense of progression.
  • The user interface and quest tracking can be unclear, making it difficult for players to understand objectives and navigate the game effectively.
  • story383 mentions

    The story in "Legends of Eisenwald" is generally well-received, featuring a rich narrative with medieval themes, intriguing side quests, and character development that many players find engaging. However, some reviewers criticize the linearity of the plot, vague quest descriptions, and the frustrating mechanic of losing companions and gear between chapters, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is praised for its immersive storytelling and the depth of its world, appealing to fans of narrative-driven RPGs.

    • “The story is well written and flows along well enough with several side quests to keep you busy, while building your XP and gear. My one complaint here is losing all your companions and most of your gear at the end of each chapter -- but hey, it doesn't take you too long to rebuild.”
    • “One of the positive features of Legends of Eisenwald is its immersive storyline.”
    • “The story is compelling.”
    • “In terms of narrative, Eisenwald gives too many long text dumps for my liking, and it's all set in a very generic medieval land, so it's very hard for me to get invested in the story.”
    • “The quests are vague and unintuitive; after the tutorial, the game gives you little direction and it's very easy to screw things up for yourself.”
    • “The story is terrible and the characters don't really have a consistent voice.”
  • gameplay88 mentions

    The gameplay of "Legends of Eisenwald" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its tactical combat and RPG mechanics, while others criticize its clunky mechanics and lack of depth compared to other strategy games. While the game offers a rich story and immersive atmosphere, many find the combat repetitive and the mechanics frustratingly simplistic or buggy. Overall, it provides a decent experience for those who enjoy turn-based strategy, but may not satisfy players seeking more complex gameplay.

    • “I like the mechanic of the temporary mercenaries contrasted with your regulars, and the ability to increase your unit size by capturing castles.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are great, the story and historical-mythical background even better.”
    • “It mixes smart tactical combat, solid looting and leveling gameplay, good art, amazing music, a sense of immersion I struggle to find nowadays in games, and an absolutely great story.”
    • “The gameplay is really not Eisenwald's forte; anyone who tells you that Eisenwald's gameplay is exceptional has clearly not played that many strategy games.”
    • “If you look for tactical grid combat, the gameplay is terrible.”
    • “The combat mechanics are not particularly deep.”
  • graphics84 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful hand-drawn artwork and medieval atmosphere, while others note that the visuals can feel dated or simplistic compared to modern standards. Some players appreciate the aesthetic experience and character models, but there are criticisms regarding graphical glitches and a lack of polish in certain areas. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good, especially for lower-end systems, but opinions vary on their impact on gameplay and immersion.

    • “The game also has beautiful, hand-drawn graphics that create a stunning medieval atmosphere.”
    • “Graphics are gorgeous, story is good and the music is fantastic.”
    • “Graphically, the game is very pretty with a great soundtrack that really works to immerse you in the world.”
    • “This game is just like King's Bounty, but with poorer graphics, poorer interface, poorer battle, and much poorer story.”
    • “The graphics are rather minimal.”
    • “The first impression can be somewhat off-putting, because the graphics and animations look simple and feel outdated for at least 5 years.”
  • music46 mentions

    The music in the game receives high praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beautiful and immersive soundtrack, which includes epic chorales and medieval-style melodies. However, some players mention that the limited variety of tracks can lead to monotony during extended play sessions. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that complements the game's graphics and storytelling effectively.

    • “Great, great music and the world.”
    • “Musically, we are served epic chorales, which are partly seconded by typical medieval-style music that one likes to listen to - the selection of pieces is quite manageable, but here too, the tactical game elements are so captivating that you can quickly forget.”
    • “Beautiful artwork and music really helps create the world.”
    • “- monotonous music”
    • “Confusing quests, terrible translation, tedious grinding, generic music, boring campaign, and buggy as hell.”
    • “Poor performance, annoying music, bad UI.”
  • atmosphere20 mentions

    The game excels in creating a captivating medieval atmosphere through its beautiful hand-drawn graphics, immersive music, and rich storytelling. Players appreciate the relaxing and lore-filled environment, which enhances the overall experience, although some feel that certain aspects lack depth. Overall, it is praised for its ability to transport players to a simpler time, filled with engaging characters and quests that contribute to its enchanting ambiance.

    • “The game also has beautiful, hand-drawn graphics that create a stunning medieval atmosphere.”
    • “Aterdux has managed to create, for me, the ultimate medieval atmosphere.”
    • “It's a vacation, a trip into a simpler time and place, and there is a beauty and innocence to the atmosphere that few games could hope to capture.”
    • “Maybe it really is that way, but this is just another point where the game's atmosphere lacks some depth.”
    • “I just don't feel captured in the game's atmosphere and story.”
    • “The plot is very good, but it completely immerses in the middle ages atmosphere.”
  • stability18 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and long load times that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, the overall consensus is that the game remains heavily buggy and in need of substantial fixes, even after years in early access.

    • “Buggy -- had to uninstall and reinstall twice because it would crash in loading screens often.”
    • “Game freezes every time I enter an area or open my inventory.”
    • “After years in early access, it is still bug-ridden.”
  • grinding18 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding in the game to be tedious and slow, particularly after completing quests, as respawning enemies are limited and leveling up becomes a monotonous task. While some appreciate the strategic elements and combat, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of grinding for experience and upgrades, leading to a loss of patience and enjoyment. Overall, the grinding aspect is often described as a significant detractor from the overall experience, making the game feel tedious and boring at times.

    • “After you did the quests, there are a few enemies that respawn but not many, so once you 'did everything' in a map, it is very tedious and slow to grind for more XP.”
    • “It becomes a tiresome and tedious grind until you can take on enemies which you think you can beat.”
    • “This is the opposite of fun - it is tedious and boring; and it is a waste of my time.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and integration with the storyline, offering meaningful choices that impact gameplay and world dynamics. While some players note the pace of character progression as "glacial," they appreciate how it aligns with the game's overall design. The RPG elements are compared to titles like Mount & Blade, emphasizing a balance between combat and narrative development.

    • “Good character development with options and a 'real' life storyline.”
    • “Overall, I very much enjoyed this game: great storyline (traditions, lore, and history from Germany all developed this backstory), pretty well-balanced fighting, and a good character development process.”
    • “Also, I like the character development and how your choices shape the world and the different factions and lords.”
    • “The character development is really slow; I've seen it described as 'glacial,' but it fits the game. I wouldn't say it's a bad thing (though I must say I liked the short 3x experience period right after launch).”
    • “In my opinion, Legends of Eisenwald is first and foremost a turn-based squad-level tactical combat game with a character development system that is focused almost exclusively on combat.”
    • “There is a small character development 'road,' and your decisions are important. If you choose the wrong path when leveling, the game can become difficult.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting low performance, bugs, and lag during larger battles and on expansive maps. Many players noted that the optimization issues detracted from their overall experience, with some expressing hope for future improvements.

    • “The only negative thing is that the game isn't well optimized.”
    • “6/10 (-2 for the optimization. I hope it gets fixed.)”
    • “I had performance issues with some lag on bigger maps and battles with a lot of people.”
    • “Low performance, buggy.”
    • “Had performance issues with some lag on bigger maps and battles with a lot of people.”
    • “Poor transitional optimization; when triggering dialogue, buying/selling an item, or exiting a shop, the wait time seems a bit too long.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game's replayability is enhanced by a dedicated community that produces mods and fan content, offering personalization and new experiences. However, some players feel the game may be too short, leading to doubts about its long-term replay value, though many still find it highly replayable with breaks in between playthroughs. Overall, the potential for endless replayability exists, particularly with future modding support.

    • “Finally, the game has a passionate and dedicated community of fans who have created mods, fan fiction, and other content that enhances the game's replayability and personalization.”
    • “Highly replayable, although I would take a couple of months break between attempts.”
    • “When modders create more campaigns, this game will have endless replay value.”
    • “It kills the replayability of the game.”
    • “Maybe it's too short, and I doubt the replayability value.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as interesting and well-integrated with challenging tasks, featuring sophisticated writing and hilarious dialogues that enhance the storytelling experience. While the combat mechanics are noted to be humorously flawed, the overall comedic elements contribute positively to the gameplay.

    • “Interesting and good humor together with challenging tasks.”
    • “The game isn't that tough, despite the hilarious video posted here of the developer losing repeatedly, as long as you wear down individual enemies, don't hire mercenaries longer than you need them, and keep enough gold on hand to heal your troops.”
    • “Getting involved in a sophisticatedly written story with many turnarounds, lots of reading of (sometimes hilarious) dialogs, finding clues in the quest log, saves and loads, and searching for walkthroughs.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find the main campaign's story engaging with its moral dilemmas and heartbreaking choices, others feel that overall emotional investment is lacking, viewing elements as mere tools for gameplay rather than sources of emotional connection.

    • “First, it is rich with an enticing story in the main campaign, full of turmoil and wicked twists, moral dilemmas, and heartbreaking choices.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

Buy Legends of Eisenwald

Play time

38hMedian play time
34hAverage play time
30-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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