Shieldwall

About

Shieldwall is a single player and multiplayer tactical simulation game with comedy and historical themes. It was developed by Nezon Production and was released on April 18, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

Shieldwall is a humorous third-person simulation game that combines tactical battle and strategy elements, allowing players to control troops formation while leading a legion for the glory of Rome. Experience dynamic battles, siege and defend castles, and create your own strategy in multiplayer matches. With its phenomenal story, masterful gameplay, splendid visuals, and amazing soundtrack, Shieldwall offers a highly replayable and entertaining experience, despite some bugs.

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+15

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,360 reviews

story58 positive mentions

grinding13 negative mentions

The game is fun and addictive, especially in multiplayer mode.
Great graphics and charming art style, making the gameplay enjoyable.
The strategic elements require thoughtful planning and tactics to win battles.

The AI is often unbalanced, making the game frustratingly difficult in later levels.
Limited unit cap of 25 makes it hard to manage defenses and offense effectively.
The gameplay can become repetitive, with many missions feeling like a grind.

story
307 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
77%
4%
The game's story is minimal, primarily consisting of brief historical context before each mission, which are based on real Roman battles. While early missions are engaging and require strategic thinking, many players find later missions frustratingly difficult and repetitive, often relying on luck rather than skill to succeed. Overall, the campaign lacks depth and progression, leading to a mixed reception regarding its narrative and mission design.
- “The campaign is pretty fun and challenging - in the first act; however, once you get to the second or third mission of act 2, good luck.”
- “Great story with many different challenges and objectives.”
- “Each mission is a unique problem-solving scenario which requires the right strategy to win.”
- “This luck factor, especially in the later stages of the campaign, often has more impact on level outcomes than actual strategy, to the degree that the only way to fully complete a mission is to restart over and over until a very particular set of circumstances arise, which the player has no control over.”
- “The last few missions were extremely frustrating because the AI is overpowered, mainly targeting you instead of other factions, and very hard to chase down.”
- “Many missions are plain broken with fortresses that produce so much money that the AI can sit in them with infinite troops appearing, others rely on RNG to be winnable.”
gameplay
261 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and frustrating due to mechanics that often lead to circular strategies and a lack of variety in missions. While some appreciate the simple and addictive nature of the core mechanics, others criticize the AI behavior and the limited troop options, suggesting that the game needs more content and updates to enhance the overall experience. Despite these issues, there are elements of charm and fun, particularly in multiplayer modes, indicating potential for improvement as the game develops.
- “Great game, wonderful quality and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is awesome!”
- “Fun game that has some really addictive gameplay, the team has been rolling out solid updates that only improve quality.”
- “Some of the campaign missions, like mission 2 of act 1, basically consist of standing on the central point, alternating defending against two different AI armies while you gain slightly more money than them, and wait until you have the upgrade advantage, only to move out against one enemy to have the other swoop behind you and take your starting castle... extremely frustrating gameplay arc. I wish there were more straightforward maps that prevent you from chasing the AI in circles.”
- “The campaign limits you to 25 troops at a time and you have no choice over it. You cannot tell your units to charge and go back to recruit more as they will follow you back to the flag, which is a very frustrating mechanic since the AI can spam a ton of units even when you are capturing a flag, so you will just have to run back and forth with no progress.”
- “The game's mechanics are very bare bones; for a 'tactical' game, there is very little tactics involved. You just walk straight at the enemy and pray that you have more men.”
graphics
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming and cute art style, which enhances the overall visual experience. Many players appreciate the game's unique aesthetic, describing it as colorful and appealing, even on lower settings, while some note that the simplistic graphics contribute to its fun and engaging gameplay. However, a few reviews mention performance issues and a lack of graphical depth, indicating that while the visuals are enjoyable, they may not be groundbreaking.
- “Absolutely an amazing game, great graphics, different play styles, different maps, different factions, and new updates regularly to go with all of that.”
- “The art style is amazing.”
- “Stylized graphics that look great and let you focus on the strategy during the gameplay.”
- “Seems like the developer came up with a cute art style and completely abandoned any effort of making good gameplay.”
- “Using such simplistic graphics only to have, like, barely 50 soldiers fighting?”
- “Do not support 4k resolution, and the graphics are pretty bad.”
humor
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both hilarious and entertaining, thanks to its quirky animations, funny character designs, and comedic mechanics. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to blend strategy with humor, making it enjoyable and addictive, even amidst some challenging gameplay. Overall, the lighthearted tone and amusing elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a fun and funny gaming experience.
- “I would highly recommend if you are looking for a simple strategy game with hilarious animations and a great soundtrack.”
- “The simple art style, the character models, the funny physics and movement.”
- “I really like the roundish Lego style of characters; they are so much fun to look at, especially when they are running into each other screaming their little lungs out – it’s hilarious!”
replayability
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
52%
10%
Overall, the game exhibits a notable level of replayability, with many players enjoying the custom battles and various difficulty settings. While the current content is somewhat limited, particularly in terms of story missions, the potential for additional maps and modes in future updates is seen as a promising avenue for enhancing replay value. Despite some bugs and a short initial playtime, the engaging mechanics and community interest suggest that replayability will continue to grow as the game develops.
- “Great game, has a high replay value, so in my opinion, it's worth the money.”
- “Great replayability, super fun, really interesting mechanics.”
- “Even in early access, the replay value is big.”
- “It would not be difficult at all for the developer to add extra skirmish maps to add much more value and replayability to the game, so this lowers the overall rating.”
- “Fantastic game, really short at the moment, completed the current content in about 3 hours with not a lot of replay value.”
- “It's neat but I can't see any sort of long-term replay value in it.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
16%
16%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and immerse them in the experience, particularly during battles. However, some users noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, complementing its charming visuals and engaging gameplay.
- “I would highly recommend if you are looking for a simple strategy game with hilarious animations and a great soundtrack.”
- “Visually, I like the game’s rather charming art style, and the music does get you into the mood of being a Roman soldier in battle for the glory of the republic.”
- “It's a really good game with great potential; also, the music is amazing!”
- “The music was again a bit repetitive but still fine.”
- “They stopped updating the game and released the soundtrack for a money grab. It's been like 2 years since an update of any kind; this dev team is known for abandoning projects.”
- “1 developer, 1 3D artist, and 1 music producer.”
grinding
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
6%
76%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, particularly in the later stages of the campaign where battles often devolve into prolonged chases with minimal engagement. While early missions are enjoyable, the lack of unit diversity and repetitive strategies contribute to a grindy experience that detracts from overall enjoyment, leading many to feel that the game becomes a "glorified running simulator." The AI's overwhelming strength and decision-making further exacerbate the grind, making it a chore rather than a challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The singleplayer is genuinely awful because it is so grindy and tedious.”
- “Instead of battles it's just a glorified running simulator with very little actual fighting, and the multiple AIs on the map are making decisions based on what screws the player the most instead of what would be most beneficial for them, which in turn makes the entire thing a tedious grind fest.”
- “There are many elements to this game that are tedious, frustrating, and it quickly stops being fun.”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
6%
76%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report minor glitches and bugs, such as AI issues and occasional freezing, the game is generally considered to run well, especially for an early access title. Some users appreciate the developers' efforts in addressing these issues through updates, leading to a mostly enjoyable experience despite the presence of some frustrating bugs. Overall, it shows promise but still requires further refinement to reach its full potential.
- “Probably the most bug-free early access game I have ever seen, and it's frequently updated with new content.”
- “There are few bugs, and it runs almost bug-free. With new factions being added, this game is becoming really enjoyable; I definitely recommend it.”
- “On the whole, it runs great, and I have not experienced any bugs during my first hour of playtime.”
- “Bugs and glitches: enemies sometimes get stuck on objects like rocks or buildings, which is frustrating and ruins the immersion.”
- “The game is fun, however everyone buying should be aware that the devs made a similar half-finished (it's in alpha) game called Formata a few years back and left it in a buggy and broken state.”
- “I will say there are some glitches like AI glitching through doors and the doors glitching closed for a couple of minutes while repairing after a battle.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, even on high-end systems. Despite decent graphics, the lack of effective optimization settings and persistent performance problems have led to frustration among users, particularly in early access. While some players experience good performance, the majority find the game poorly optimized, resulting in excessive resource usage and gameplay that falls short of expectations.
- “Graphics are fine and performance was great, the music was again a bit repetitive but still fine.”
- “Performance: 10/10 (I have a high-end PC, don't know how it is for others with lower-end PCs).”
- “My 2060 Ti should run this game just fine, but having the game on medium settings will use 56% of my GPU, and with no optimization settings apart from preset low to epic settings, you can only have a handful of options.”
- “The game seems to be poorly optimized; when I'm playing for 10 minutes, my system fans go crazy, it sounds like a helicopter taking off.”
- “Sadly, the last new thing to report is optimization issues.”
- “The game is horribly optimized and has very little gameplay.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The monetization strategy primarily relies on microtransactions and in-game purchases, which some users perceive as a cash grab, particularly in the context of multiplayer gameplay. There are suggestions for balancing these purchases with diverse developments for different nations to enhance the overall experience.
- “It looks like an easy cash grab.”
- “Microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
- “Microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly immersive and captivating, effectively making players feel like they are commanding an army. Features such as strategic formations, outpost placements, and engaging difficulty contribute to a rich environment filled with enjoyable challenges and hidden easter eggs. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the gameplay experience, encouraging players to invest in the game.
- “Immersive atmosphere - captivating environment.”
- “I think it's a very good game; it definitely makes you feel like you really are a general commanding that little army. I love the fact that you can do formations like shield wall and place defenders at an outpost. The banner perks create an amazing atmosphere, and I appreciate the difficulty of it all. Even on normal difficulty, it still took me a while to progress, and I love the little easter eggs.”
- “If the atmosphere, core loop, and style appeal to you, then show this team your support with an early purchase.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, with one user expressing that they cried upon completing the first campaign, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment akin to that of a general leading their troops to victory.
- “But, it's frustrating; I kid you not, I cried tears when I beat the first campaign.”
- “It made me feel like a general who has trained their troops well.”