Sorcerer King: Rivals

With quite a few twists on the traditional 4X formula, Sorcerer King: Rivals has a lot under the hood. The combat is a substantial improvement, offering a new way to engage the enemy, and the RPG elements expand gameplay even further. The editor is a cherry on top of an already full package. While it has a few balance issues in the endgame, Sorcerer King: Rivals shines brightly in a crowded genre.

57%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

stability, optimization

64% User Score Based on 202 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $2.21

Buy NowGet on Steam$19.99

About

Sorcerer King: Rivals is a turn-based fantasy 4X game from the people who brought you Galactic Civilizations and Sins of a Solar Empire. Build a civilization, go on quests, craft weapons and armor, research spells and gain enough magical power to ascend to godhood.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 203 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The game features a fun mix of turn-based strategy and RPG elements, with engaging quests and humorous writing.
Crafting and item customization add depth to gameplay, allowing players to equip units with unique gear and spells.
Improved graphics and a more refined interface enhance the overall experience compared to its predecessor.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and performance issues, making it frustrating to play for extended periods.
Many features from the original game have been simplified or removed, leading to a lack of depth and replayability.
The AI is often passive and unchallenging, resulting in a less engaging experience during the late game.

gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
65%
8%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring solid crafting mechanics and a unique blend of RPG and 4X elements, but marred by repetitive mechanics, numerous bugs, and a lack of depth in strategic options. While some players appreciate the engaging turn-based mechanics and the potential for customization, many criticize the game for its rigid systems, limited replayability, and unfinished feel. Overall, it offers enjoyable moments but is hindered by significant flaws that detract from the overall experience.
- “I find the direction in art style a bit off-putting; however, after 40 hours, I've found the gameplay more than makes up for it.”
- “The gameplay itself is easy to understand, to the point, and fun, with a more complex crafting and equipment system for you to play with if you're into that kind of stuff.”
- “The combat is a substantial improvement, offering a new way to engage the enemy, and the RPG elements expand gameplay even further.”
- “Every single session is always the same due to limitations placed by a very rigid sorcerer king mechanic.”
- “The gameplay felt bare-bones and rushed; the game itself felt so rough around the edges as to appear unfinished.”
- “Game crashes every 6 hours, pathing breaks at the littlest thing, missing mechanics (flying is faster over roads than line of sight), incomplete difficulties (too easy).”
story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
60%
9%
The game's story is characterized by its humorous and engaging narrative, often poking fun at common fantasy RPG tropes, which adds to its charm. Players appreciate the variety of quests and choices that impact the storyline, although some find the main plot thin and repetitive after multiple playthroughs. Overall, while the storytelling is entertaining and filled with witty dialogue, it may not satisfy those seeking a deeper or more complex narrative experience.
- “The storytelling and narrative are on point, humorous whilst still believable, with each instance and event having a number of responses to choose from, each having a different visible impact on the initial outcome, as well as later development of events and choices.”
- “On the plus side, Sorcerer King tells a great story with writing that is often hilarious.”
- “Many games that I have played have a lot of reading for the quests and events, as this game does, but most of those games have stale or boring text; however, Sorcerer King’s stories and events are fun and funny, which adds a lot of enjoyment to the game.”
- “The story is very thin; I still don't know who the Sorcerer King is, probably because I did not pay enough attention.”
- “Overall, it fails at being an RPG like Might and Magic does with its next to non-existent story and almost no replayability.”
- “The main story (or two now, I guess, with the DLC) lacks punch after a few playthroughs, but you get your money's worth in time played.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and improved visuals compared to previous titles, while others note persistent bugs and performance issues, particularly in snowy terrains. Overall, the aesthetics are considered appealing and well-executed, though some players find the art direction off-putting or too similar to earlier games. Despite these criticisms, the graphics are generally seen as a significant upgrade, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.
- “The art style for the game is gorgeous and vibrant, whilst still conveying darker elements when required. This is conveyed extremely well in the game's character designs, with each nation commanding both humanoid and monster units that not only look amazing but also feel great to include in your army, each feeling unique.”
- “The graphics are beautiful as well.”
- “The graphics are a big improvement from the previous game.”
- “It still has some of the same bugs, however, such as not giving sovereign abilities in some combats and having the graphics suddenly die, needing a complete reload.”
- “Btw, the engine can't handle too much snow terrain - even if unchecking all graphic settings will not help - loading such a game took like 10 minutes (with SSD HD and 16 GB RAM!!!)”
- “Same map with no difference, a few new animations but nothing to get excited about, same graphics, music, and bugs; the longer you play it, the more confused the program gets and interrupts decisions you are making to swing across the map to show some minor incident.”
replayability
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of factions and quests that enhance replay value, others criticize its limited gameplay options and lack of depth compared to other 4X titles. Many reviews suggest that while it can be enjoyable for a time, it does not offer the extensive replayability found in more established games in the genre. Ultimately, players seeking a game with high replay value may find this title lacking, despite some redeeming features.
- “The various factions available to the player differ sufficiently from each other to offer great replay value.”
- “The quests vary somewhat from game to game, which also adds a lot to replay value.”
- “With 8 races, a lot of maps, and a modding tool, I am sure this game has great replayability.”
- “All in all, it fails at being a 4X game with restrictive gameplay, it fails at being a tactical battle game with limited combat options, it fails at being an RPG like Might and Magic does with its next to non-existent story and almost no replayability and horrible character system overall.”
- “Fun concept, but stale gameplay, limited replayability.”
- “One of the weaknesses of Sorcerer King was replay value.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and upbeat writing, which adds a layer of enjoyment to the storytelling and questing experience. Players appreciate the funny dialogue and mini-stories within quests, noting that the humor remains effective even in darker themes. Overall, the game's humorous elements significantly enhance its appeal, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms of other aspects.
- “The storytelling and narrative is on point, humorous while still believable, with each instance and event having a number of responses to choose from, each having a different visible impact on the initial outcome, as well as later development of events and choices.”
- “The game developers' humor in some of the quests actually had me laughing at my desk.”
- “Despite the darkish theme, the map is vibrant, the music is soothing, and the writing is funny.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs affecting graphics, sound, and unit movement. Users have experienced crashes, memory leaks, and overall sluggish performance, leading many to label it as a poorly executed cash grab. Despite its rebranding, the game remains plagued by the same issues that marred its initial release.
- “They released an unfinished and buggy version called Sorcerer King, then they removed the game from the Steam store and resold it with a different name, but very few changes.”
- “It's buggy - not crash-to-desktop buggy (though that did happen once), but graphics buggy (zooming in and out) and sound buggy (the sound just gave out halfway through my first game), moving units buggy (you kill an army and move onto the lair then have to expend movement to back off the lair and move back on it).”
- “Extremely buggy and sluggish engine, lots of crashes, memory leaks etc. (out of memory message with 16 GB RAM after AFK for 3 hours).”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many users reporting it as unplayable due to significant performance issues that worsen over time. However, some players noted improvements following the latest patch, which alleviated many of the delays experienced during gameplay. Overall, while there are signs of progress, optimization remains a major concern for many users.
- “The latest patch fixed a lot of my performance issues and I can now play the game without a huge delay in between turns.”
- “I will amend this review if I can work out my performance issues, or if a performance patch goes through.”
- “The performance... this game is unplayable.”
- “Perhaps even more importantly, the game's performance degrades as the turns wear on.”
- “Garbage performance”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music in the game is generally described as soothing and well-integrated with the overall aesthetic, contributing positively to the experience. While some players note a lack of new musical content and a desire for more variety, the existing soundtrack is still appreciated and seems to age well over time. Overall, the sound design, including music, is considered a strong aspect of the game's presentation.
- “I'd also add that this game just looks great -- art, interface design, sound/music, it's all very well-made.”
- “Despite the darkish theme, the map is vibrant, the music is soothing, and the writing is funny.”
- “The graphics/music/sounds etc are just the same as before, but that's just fine with me (I hope they age well after a few years) even though I'm not that great a fan of this typical cartoony art style it does seem to grow on me day by day.”
- “Same map with no difference, a few new animations but nothing to get excited about, same graphics, music, and bugs. The longer you play it, the more confused the program gets and interrupts decisions you are making to swing across the map to show some minor incident.”
- “The graphics/music/sounds etc. are just the same as before, but that's just fine with me (I hope they age well after a few years) even though I'm not that great a fan of this typical cartoony art style it does seem to grow on me day by day.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding in the game to be excessively slow and tedious, leading to a lack of enjoyment and overall dissatisfaction with their purchase.
- “The game is too slow, with excessive grinding that becomes boring very quickly.”
- “It's a boring, tedious, unfun mess that I regret buying.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is enhanced by unique and visually striking character designs that reflect both beauty and darker themes. While some aspects of city building and character progression have been simplified compared to previous titles, the inclusion of moral RPG choices adds depth and dynamism to the questing experience.
- “The art style for the game is gorgeous and vibrant, while still conveying darker elements when required. This is conveyed extremely well in the game's character designs, with each nation commanding both humanoid and monster units that not only look amazing but also feel great to include in your army, each feeling unique.”
- “While the city building and character development obviously have been downgraded since Fallen Enchantress, I feel the world is more dynamic and reactive, with those moral RPG choices in there, which makes the questing part a blast.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in "Sorcerer King" and "FE" is noted for its uniqueness, enhanced by rich and varied gameplay, along with strong presentation elements that contribute to an immersive experience.
- “Sorcerer King and FE create a very unique atmosphere, and the gameplay is rich and varied.”
- “Good presentation and atmosphere.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization of the game is criticized as exploitative, with users labeling it a poorly executed cash grab that is riddled with bugs.
- “This is a buggy, sloppily made cash grab.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and ruins the overall experience.”
- “I can't enjoy the game when it constantly pushes me to spend more money.”