Necropolis: Story of Lich
"Necropolis: Story of Lich" is a turn-based strategy game set in a mighty magic world. Players collect heroes and explore dark dungeons, battling enemies using strategic combat mechanics. The ultimate goal is to become a powerful Lich and rule the necropolis, with multiple endings based on the player's choices.
Reviews
- The game offers enjoyable tactical combat reminiscent of classic Heroes of Might and Magic games.
- It has a visually appealing map that encourages exploration and engagement.
- Players can progress without spending money if they are strategic and patient.
- The game heavily relies on ads and microtransactions, making it difficult to progress without spending money.
- There are numerous bugs and balancing issues, particularly with unreachable enemies and inconsistent rewards.
- The lack of a proper tutorial and unclear mechanics can frustrate new players.
- monetization34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- -3 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is heavily criticized for its reliance on ads and in-game purchases, with many players reporting that they spend more time watching ads than actually playing. While watching ads can provide some rewards, the frequency and necessity of ads for troop revival and resource gathering are seen as excessive and frustrating, leading to a perception of the game as a cash grab. Overall, the monetization strategy detracts from the gameplay experience, making it feel more like an advertising platform than a traditional game.
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel exploitative.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content without pushing for purchases.”
“The in-game purchases are optional and don't hinder the overall experience.”
“The downside is you need to watch ads or pay money in order to gather more resources and level up faster.”
“It came to a point where I watch more ads than I actually play the game, so I don't see any point in playing it more.”
“The part I don't like is the obvious cash grab and XP cap before they flash big, cheap deals at you, like 'for only $99.99, you can have all of this!' This model is predatory and I will be deleting the game because it feels more like an alleyway drug dealer rather than a game.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay features engaging combat and exploration reminiscent of classic titles, but is heavily marred by a paywall that restricts access to most content, making it nearly unplayable without significant financial investment. Players note a lack of originality and updates, with many mechanics and areas locked behind premium currency, overshadowing the overall experience.
“Honestly, the combat and exploration are kind of cool, but a significant portion of the game is locked behind a premium currency paywall, with multiple areas, dungeons, and mechanics inaccessible without spending money.”
“The gameplay features upgraded characters, but it remains similar to previous iterations, lacking significant innovation.”
“The game offers a nostalgic old-school heroes gameplay experience, but unfortunately, it suffers from a lack of special events, updates, and overall effort.”
“90% of the game is locked behind a premium currency paywall with multiple areas, dungeons, mechanics, etc. locked behind the paywall.”
“The game is unplayable after an hour of gameplay unless you spend hundreds of dollars.”
“Gameplay is overshadowed by microtransactions.”
- story6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being a reskin of an older title, offering little innovation beyond starting as a lich instead of a knight or prince. Players find the narrative engaging but are frustrated by the progression system, which heavily relies on in-game purchases due to insufficient rewards from story missions. Overall, while the storyline has potential, it is overshadowed by the paywall and repetitive gameplay mechanics.
“Great storyline!”
“Reskin of an older game; same maps, story, and troops, so nothing new except you start as a lich instead of a knight or prince. Disappointed.”
“While the game is fun, the only way to progress is by paying money, as all the events are practically impossible to progress on. Even the main quest line has a single stack of creatures that can have over 30,000 units, which is just impossible to kill given your own highest stack might be 1,000 units, and you can't even afford to upgrade to make them stronger as you never have enough gold.”
“To complete daily quests, you must spend coins or gems, which is usually more than you can get farming in 4 hours of play.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be significant, often requiring substantial time investment to progress, especially for free-to-play users. The presence of numerous ads and premium currency locks adds to the grind, making it challenging to complete daily quests without spending more than what can be earned through regular gameplay. Overall, while some enjoy the grind, it can feel excessive and frustrating for others.
“I played for a few weeks on and off (as I was waiting for arena chest timers to countdown for resources and such). The game also has a lot of ads since a ton of things can be doubled with an ad watch, which saves on grinding.”
“Anyways, TL;DR: lots of ads, lots of things locked behind premium currency, can be grindy for free-to-play players.”
“To complete daily quests, you must spend coins or gems, which is usually more than you can get farming in 4 hours of play.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have been criticized for their similarity to previous titles, with some users alleging that graphical assets have been directly copied from Heroes of Might and Magic III. While the battle and unit designs may resemble each other, the overall visual presentation of the game is noted to differ significantly.
“The graphics are stunning, with vibrant colors and detailed environments that truly immerse you in the game world.”
“The character designs are beautifully crafted, showcasing a unique art style that sets this game apart.”
“The animations are fluid and dynamic, bringing the battles to life in a way that is visually impressive.”
“Graphics, battle, and units might look similar, but the rest of the game is quite different.”
“Not just 'similar'; they openly stole graphical assets from HOMM3.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, particularly during critical gameplay moments such as boss fights and tutorials, where the game frequently freezes, preventing any progress and often resulting in lost progress.
“Now it tries to start the tutorial on the 3rd boss and completely freezes.”
“Although it seems I'm struggling in the arena and the campaign, the gameplay freezes so no moves can be made, and I have to back out and lose.”