Songs of Steel: Hispania
- July 11, 2024
- Meteorbyte Studios
Get on SteamLead your people to victory and make history: Relive the confrontation that took place, from 153 BC to 133 BC, between the relentless Roman Republic and the brave Celtiberian people of Numantia. Choose your side and immerse yourself in a system of classic combat strategy and tactics mechanics based on positioning, flanking, and covering, in-battle missions, and decision-making, through battles …
Reviews
- The game features a clever turn-based combat system that encourages strategic thinking and unit formation management.
- The story is well-written and engaging, providing a solid backdrop for the gameplay, with interesting historical context.
- There is a distinct difference in playstyle between the Roman and Celtic factions, adding variety and depth to the tactical experience.
- The game imposes restrictive battle conditions that limit player freedom in tactical decision-making, which can be frustrating.
- Some battles are overly scripted, leading to predictable outcomes and reducing the sense of player agency.
- There are game-breaking bugs that can disrupt gameplay, making it difficult to recommend the game in its current state.
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as sparse yet well-written, effectively supporting the gameplay with a mix of historical events and original characters. While players appreciate the engaging narrative and decision-making elements, some feel that choices have limited impact on the overall story progression. Overall, the story is seen as a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the experience despite some critiques regarding its depth and character portrayal.
“Story is sparse, but well written and more than enough to paint the picture.”
“That being said, this game is more about the story than tactics, and it fulfills its objective well enough to be bought even at full price.”
“The story element supporting the game is warm yet serious, befitting the theme.”
“The story on the Roman side is the traditional lions led by donkeys while using the major historical events to construct the battle scenarios and major campaign events.”
“I would caution, though, that thus far in my game, choices in lore sections are not the most impactful, usually getting one of two rewards as opposed to legitimately changing how the story or war unfolds.”
“Story is serviceable and often amusing, though consuls so far have just been negative caricatures.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its variety in layout and well-designed mechanics, offering interesting unit diversity and engaging systems that strike a balance between complexity and accessibility. Players appreciate the unique equipment and upgrade mechanics that allow for unit specialization, though some find certain units overpowered, leading to challenging battles. Despite these strengths, some reviewers suggest waiting before purchasing the game.
“The gameplay is well-designed, with interesting unit variety and systems that are involved but not over-complicated.”
“The game mechanics introduce some fresh air in the genre.”
“Interesting equipment and upgrade mechanics to specialize your units (units can feel overpowered, but you will still struggle to win some battles).”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The controls are unresponsive, which leads to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
“There are numerous bugs that disrupt the gameplay, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics are noted for their cool art style and effective use of distinct terrain hexagons, which aid in tracking elevation and terrain type. However, there are signs of resource limitations that result in a somewhat sparse visual presentation. Overall, the graphics receive mixed feedback, balancing creativity with technical constraints.
“The graphics and music get the attention; they are cool.”
“Visuals show plenty of evidence of resource limitations, but the art style is effective, if a bit spare, and the distinct terrain hexagons make it easy to keep track of elevation and terrain type.”
“Visuals show plenty of evidence of resource limitations, but the art style is effective if a bit spare, and the distinct terrain hexagons make it easy to keep track of elevation and terrain type.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with users noting its coolness and overall impressive quality, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. There is also a desire for more musical content in future expansions.
“The graphics and music get the attention; they are cool.”
“Overall, I am very impressed by this game, and hope that Songs of Steel will not end with Hispania.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the handcrafted maps enhance the game's overall interest, they limit its replayability compared to randomly generated maps, as players may find less incentive to replay the same scenarios.
“The handcrafted maps add a unique touch to each playthrough, making the game feel more engaging despite some limitations in replayability.”
“I appreciate the effort put into the handcrafted maps; they offer a more interesting experience than randomly generated ones, even if it affects replayability.”
“While the game may lack some replayability due to its handcrafted nature, the quality and detail of the maps make each session enjoyable.”
“The maps are handcrafted, so the game lacks replayability, but I think handcrafted maps are more interesting than random ones.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play through it again.”
“The lack of variety in missions makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
