Tiger Knight: Empire War
- October 24, 2016
- NetDragon
- 3h median play time
Tiger Knight: Empire War is a warfare fighting game that offers both 2-player and massively multiplayer options. With its exciting PVP combat and large-scale battles set in 200 BC, the game features meticulously recreated weaponry and equipment. However, be prepared for some grinding as you engage in sensational game mechanics and enjoy the pretty visuals. The game's description refers to it as an "action strategy" game, suggesting a mix of real-time strategy and action gameplay.
Reviews
- The game combines the combat mechanics of Mount and Blade with the progression system of World of Tanks, offering a unique gameplay experience.
- The graphics and battle environments are visually appealing, enhancing the overall immersion of the game.
- The game is free-to-play with a fair monetization model, allowing players to enjoy the core experience without feeling pressured to spend money.
- The game suffers from poor English localization, making it difficult for non-Chinese speakers to fully understand the gameplay mechanics and instructions.
- There are significant balance issues, particularly with cavalry units and matchmaking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The game has a low player base, especially in certain regions, resulting in long wait times for matches and a lack of competitive play.
- gameplay44 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a blend of mechanics from "Mount and Blade" and "World of Tanks," featuring directional combat and a progression system that encourages strategic team play. While many players appreciate the depth and customization options, some criticize the unbalanced gameplay, grind, and lack of updates, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is noted for its fun mechanics and engaging combat, appealing to fans of both strategy and action genres.
“This is such an amazing game, from the gameplay to the customization of your troops and your character this game is absolutely amazing and worth a try.”
“Gameplay is solid, developers seem to be quite active and fair, and even at this early stage, the amount of content is five times more than in most other free-to-play games.”
“I wholeheartedly suggest giving this game a try; lovers of strategy and fast-paced PvP gameplay will love this title.”
“Poor English localization, lack of gameplay updates since I started playing (~6 months) despite clearly unfinished/implemented content, near zero player base in the states.”
“A very promising game with a free-to-play Mount and Blade combat mechanic that ultimately falls flat due to flaws.”
“It has serious problems when it comes to gameplay as there isn't a first-person mode (or I cannot find it, and in that case, sorry, my fault) and all commands for your weapon (up, down, right, and left) are in a very small area, giving you troubles when you need accuracy in order to hit or to parry.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as functional and decent for a free-to-play title, with some users noting that they are unremarkable or "meh" compared to other games. While the visuals can run well on lower-end systems, many players have criticized the game's optimization, leading to low frame rates despite the graphics being acceptable. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate but not a standout feature, with gameplay taking precedence over visual fidelity.
“The graphics and animation quality are very nice and run very decent for an 'early' access game.”
“The graphics are incredible for a free-to-play game and the story is good.”
“Awesome graphics, good fighting controls with detailed skill trees and the best part?”
“While the graphics are okay for a free-to-play game, the combat is highly sluggish and feels 'constricted' and not fluid.”
“Apart from that, it is badly optimized; despite mediocre graphics, the FPS is really low.”
“The graphics are okay, not great.”
- grinding15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized, with players noting a steep learning curve and a frustratingly slow unit progression that often feels excessively grindy, especially for free-to-play users. Many reviews highlight the pay-to-progress model, which does not alleviate the grind, as even paying players still face significant challenges in unlocking content. While some players appreciate the rewarding nature of the grind, the overall sentiment suggests that those averse to grinding will likely find the experience unenjoyable.
“The game developer took the pay-to-progress approach, which means upgrading is extremely grindy (like War Thunder).”
“The grinding required to unlock each tier of units progressively increases; paying players cannot escape the grind either, they too have to play the game to unlock stuff, they only get 30% more rewards after each game.”
“The game is starting to show its true nature: an endless spiral of mindless grinding.”
- story11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is currently limited, with only one PvE mission available, though an additional mission is expected with the upcoming Rome update. Players express a desire for more diverse and numerous story missions, particularly those that explore various battles from the Three Kingdoms period. While the existing narrative is appreciated, the overall experience would benefit significantly from expanded content.
“The graphics are incredible for a free-to-play game, and the story is good.”
“Then there is epic war PvE, which so far only has one mission where you siege a fort to kill a marshal with a nice story to it.”
“If I could play through many various battles from the Three Kingdoms period in this playstyle, I would be in heaven.”
“As far as early access goes, I am unsure of what the developers want to do before it goes live, but I think they need a ton more maps to increase the likelihood of siege mode (still haven't played one) and obviously add a huge amount of PvE story missions, because currently they only have 1. We will be getting 1 more with the Rome update, but if I could play through many various battles from the Three Kingdoms period in this playstyle, I would be in heaven.”
“You have to be a general level 5 to play easy mode, but on easy you can't complete the whole mission as you will get a 'to be continued...' at the end of it.”
“On normal mode, you have to be a general level 12 with soldier level 5 in order to play it and do the entire mission.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 56 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting poor performance and low frame rates despite mediocre graphics. While some acknowledge the challenges of processing large numbers of units on screen, many feel that the game is not well-optimized, leading to frustration and a desire for improvements. Optimization patches are reportedly in development, but current performance issues remain a major concern for users.
“My first impression seeing this game was that the graphics kind of suck, but once you get into these battles and realize how many people you need to fit on the screen and all the calculations the game has to make, it's pretty clear why it has to be optimized this way.”
“Optimization patches are being worked on.”
“Ping is terrible in the US, but the game runs smoothly otherwise.”
“The game is awful and not optimized.”
“I'm not sure if it's my computer or poor optimization; in fact, I'm pretty sure it's poor optimization because my computer can handle most things pretty well and with much greater asset counts and graphics, but this game?”
“Apart from that, it is badly optimized; despite mediocre graphics, the FPS is really low.”
- stability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting frequent freezes and various glitches affecting movement, combat, and mounts. While some players appreciate the fun and potential of the early access title, many find the bugs detract significantly from the overall experience, making combat feel dull and frustrating. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further refinement to improve stability.
“Epic game! It's awesome with no glitches or hacks, just fun to play.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes, making for a seamless experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; I can focus on enjoying the game without interruptions.”
“Namely, unstoppable freezes during action - cannot fight normally.”
“There are several cinematic glitches, movement and combat glitches, and mount glitches.”
“The main idea is good, but combat is so dull and buggy that even if you are kicking ass, it is no fun and gets boring soon.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its quirky variations in gameplay elements and the absurdity of its balance issues, particularly after the initial tiers. Players appreciate the comedic aspects of the game's design choices, even as it shifts focus from simplicity to style. Overall, the humor is characterized by a mix of intentional and unintentional comedic moments stemming from gameplay dynamics.
“But you lost, which I personally found funny.”
“Hilariously unbalanced game after you get out of the starting tiers.”
“There are people who are really good at some points, so it's funny to get more variation in every game, like different adjutants, armor, weapons, horses, etc.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy includes microtransactions and downloadable content (DLC), but players generally agree that it does not create a pay-to-win environment, despite some labeling it as a cash grab, particularly in relation to Ubisoft's recent offerings.
“Screw the latest Ubisoft 'for horror' cash grab scam.”
“Cash grab progression system.”
“There are some microtransactions available, and some DLC, but this is by no means pay-to-win!”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently highlight the game's strong replayability, noting that it offers significant replay value and encourages multiple playthroughs.
“The game is incredibly replayable, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“I found it to be very replayable, with different choices leading to unique outcomes.”
“This game has great replay value, making it worth revisiting multiple times.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely criticized, with users describing it as unbearable and unpleasant, suggesting it detracts significantly from the overall experience.
“Don't download this terrible game; the music will make your ears bleed.”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and annoying, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
“The music feels out of place and doesn't match the game's atmosphere at all.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally rated as average, with a score of 6, indicating that while it has some engaging elements, it may lack the depth or immersion that players seek for a more captivating experience.