Victory and Glory: Napoleon
- March 17, 2016
- Electric Games
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Victory and Glory: Napoleon" is a strategy game that puts you in the role of Napoleon Bonaparte, tasked with dominating Europe through military conquest. Move armies, fight battles, recruit new troops, and expand your empire, while the AI controls enemy forces. With detailed graphics, various unit types, and over 100 unique event cards, re-fight the entire Napoleonic Wars and try to change history.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging experience with a solid blend of strategy and tactical combat, reminiscent of classic board games.
- The visuals and art design are well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the Napoleonic era.
- Despite some simplicity, the game provides a surprising depth and replayability, making it enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly with the combat system being overly random and sometimes frustrating.
- There is a lack of multiplayer options and the inability to play as other nations limits the overall experience.
- The user interface is clunky and can detract from the gameplay, making it difficult to manage armies and understand certain mechanics.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Victory & Glory: Napoleon" is characterized by its simple mechanics that are easy to learn yet challenging to master, offering significant replayability and engaging strategic elements. While the game excels in visual polish and thematic atmosphere, some players find the mechanics lacking depth and the combat resolution can become repetitive over time. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy a balance of tactical gameplay without the complexity of deep diplomacy, though improvements are anticipated in future updates.
“A nice balance between moderately complex tactical and strategic gameplay makes this a challenging but enjoyable game.”
“Very impressed with the smooth mechanics and how easy it is to learn the game.”
“Smooth gameplay, easy to learn, difficult to master, lots of replayability.”
“There is no rule book or explanation of any of the game mechanics anywhere.”
“Not recommended if you are looking for some deep diplomacy and complicated mechanics.”
“Every time I did it, it was the same thing - high price, not that deep gameplay, and very little post-release support.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety offered by multiple campaigns and the unique experiences in each playthrough, others find it limited after several sessions. Many highlight its charm, strategic depth, and engaging mechanics, but note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time. Despite these concerns, it is generally regarded as a good value for its price, with enough replayable content to keep players engaged.
“The game has very good replayability with the extra campaigns (1800, 1806, 1809, 1812, 1813) apart from the main campaign (1805).”
“If you like the Napoleonic era, beautiful games, simple mechanics, and 'no two games are the same' replay value, you'll like Victory & Glory: Napoleon!”
“Overall it is a good value for the price and there is a ton of replayability built in.”
“Don't think it has a whole lot more replayability, however, to be honest.”
“Doesn't seem to have a ton of replayability but got 9 hours out of it first session, fairly easy to learn.”
“How replayable it is currently for its price.”
- music10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its high quality and fitting selection, particularly the classical pieces that enhance the Napoleonic theme. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with specific mentions of Beethoven, while a few express disappointment in the sound effects. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's immersive experience.
“The game's visual aspects are incredibly well polished, and the selection of music for the soundtrack is well done; it fits the flavor of the Napoleonic period.”
“A lot of fun, and best of all, the soundtrack while you're contemplating moves on the strategic map is Beethoven!”
“It is colorful, has a great soundtrack; the music selections (classical) are perfect for the period being dramatized.”
“Sound effects and music are not very good.”
“No cheesy generic martial music (looking at you Paradox) but real honest to god Beethoven.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some users noting that they appear outdated, reminiscent of designs from 20 years ago. However, others appreciate the charming visuals and artwork by renowned artist Keith Rocco, which adds atmosphere to the game. Technical issues have also been reported, with some players unable to start the game or adjust graphics settings, leading to frustration.
“Absolutely gorgeous artwork by the internationally renowned artist, Kieth Rocco.”
“The graphic design is very good, but the gameplay seemed very simplistic compared to other games I've played of the same genre.”
“The game has a good replay value, charming visuals, and a lot of chrome that adds atmosphere and Napoleonic flair to the whole.”
“I can't even start the game, so I can't review it, of course. I've tried everything, looking in forums, changing the resolution in Windows. The game is so smart that you can't even change graphics settings from the start menu. Another bad thing is that I'm only getting a black screen. I tried to verify file integrity and even changed the game to run as an administrator, but nothing is helping. I just want to warn other customers to buy a game and not be able to play it no matter what you do. That is a very bad product. Slitherine, stay away is my recommendation to other Steam users.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of clarity regarding the impact of commanders' and units' ranks on battle performance, leaving players uncertain about strategic decisions like rallying troops. The ambiguous mechanics surrounding rank and performance hinder effective gameplay, as players cannot gauge the true benefits or drawbacks of their choices.
“This becomes important when you're deciding to rally troops who fled their flanks, because rallying lowers your commander's rank for the next battle phase, which impacts your overall troops' performance. However, you never know what that impact really is, so you can't tell if it's worth rallying a unit or keeping the rank high.”
“Units have this strange level/rank number that somehow impacts their battle strength, and depending on their performance in a battle, they can rank up. In the board game, no such rule exists.”
“Again, it's unclear what a commander ranked 12 versus a commander ranked 3 will actually do to your troops' battle performance.”
“Again, it's unclear what a commander ranked 12 vs a commander ranked 3 will actually do to your troops' battle performance.”
“This becomes important when you're deciding to rally troops who fled their flanks, because rallying lowers your commander's rank for the next battle phase, which impacts your overall troops' performance. But you never know what that impact really is, so you can't tell if it's worth rallying a unit or keeping the rank high.”
“Units have this weird level/rank number that somehow impacts their battle strength, and depending on their performance in a battle, they can rank up. In the board game, no such rule exists.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly in managing interactions and combat resolution after repeated play. While the gameplay is generally straightforward and enjoyable, the repetitive nature of certain mechanics can detract from the overall experience, especially in challenging scenarios like multi-front wars. Despite this, the game offers solid strategic value and replayability.
“The gameplay is simple in that it is easy to understand and there are no tedious details that you are forced to manage.”
“Clicking on everybody to see who has a leader for moving gets a bit tedious.”
“The gameplay (combat resolution) can get a bit grindy after repeated play.”
“The AI can be quite challenging as France will be at war on multiple fronts for much of the game.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, user experiences with stability are mixed; while some report frequent crashes and ongoing troubleshooting, others find the game largely bug-free and effective in conveying its complex rules.
“The game seems bug-free and does a reasonable job of conveying the rules to this complex board game.”
“I appreciate how stable the game is; I haven't encountered any crashes or major glitches.”
“The smooth gameplay experience really enhances the overall enjoyment, making it feel very reliable.”
“I got the game on sale and have 10 hours put into it, but I experience annoying crashes to desktop often while constantly troubleshooting issues.”
“The game is riddled with stability issues, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“Frequent crashes and bugs ruin the overall experience, leaving me frustrated.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by charming visuals and a Napoleonic flair, providing a captivating experience that emphasizes flavor over hardcore mechanics. Players appreciate the solid strategic elements and replay value, though some note that combat can become grindy and the AI presents a significant challenge. Overall, the atmosphere effectively immerses players in the period, despite a desire for more playable countries.
“The game has charming visuals and a lot of chrome that adds atmosphere and Napoleonic flair to the whole.”
“It has good appeal and flavor for the period, emphasizing flavor and atmosphere over hardcore mechanics.”
“The atmosphere is enhanced by the nail-biting moments and close calls, making it a solid strategic game.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story revolves around the conflict between France and England, highlighting France's military strength and victories, while England persistently seeks to form new coalitions to challenge French dominance.
“France's armies are great, and you will win battles, but England is always on a mission to build a new coalition to oppose you.”
