Great title, may not be for everyone
This is a game you can really sink your teeth into... provided you meet a few specific criteria:
1. Patience. This game moves very slowly. You may want to start off and be able to use Guns and Magic right away. Well, I've put quite a few hours into this game, and never got the ability to use either of those weapon sets. So be prepared to put some time into this game if you really want to get the most out of it.
2. Love of Strategy. Few war games ever quite capture the strategic element of war, but this game does this quite nicely. With a ton of different "job classes" that you can (eventually) utilize, and each of those job classes having different strengths and abilities, the amount of ways you can approach a certain battle situation is staggering. However, if you don't like your games to make you think too much, this may deter you from playing.
3. More Patience. Not only is the pace of the game's campaign slow, but the battles themselves may feel slow to gamers who are used to rapid button-pressing and combos. There is no button-mashing here. The outcome of a skirmish is decided entirely on strategy, practice, and good decision-making.
Overall I give it a 5 out of 5 rating, this game is really similar to Dynasty Warriors, another PlayStation 3 title, but different in so many ways. You have to lead troops into battle, where you must take strategic points across a vast map. The story revolves around the 100 year war that took place between France and England.
Your character is a mercenary for hire capable of choosing either side to fight with or use both sides to draw out the conflict and earn vast sums of money. The money you earn can be put towards upgrades for yourself and the respective unit you may be controlling i.e swords, spears, bows, etc. The graphics are very good, and the AI of the opponents are tactful and challenging. There a few draw backs, such as a few long drawn out battles and occasional lack of gripping story may leave you wondering why you are fighting. But with the vast weapon system and individual stat system that is effected on each individual unit type, it will leave you planning and plotting against whichever side you choose to fight against, whether it be French or English.
If you are into action/strategy games, then this is defiantly a title you should try. While the casual gamer would probably find this game rather disappointing because of a lack of an adrenaline-free battle system, this game still does what it set out to do very well. It's a deep and satisfying strategy/war game, with plenty to do and (what with multiple story lines and a create-your-own character) quite a lot of replay value.
Here's to hoping that the publisher Koei, makes more games in the fashion of this one. Well done in my eyes.Read full review
