The game received funding during a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2012, and the new release to Steam Early Access shows how fans that backed the game may well get their money's worth out of the game's full release. While the game's combat looks a bit worse for wear during the early development period, there is plenty of strategic planning and item management prior to each battle that makes the game addictive and worth playing on Steam Early Access.
In Legends of Eisenwald, players must create custom characters to battle in a fantasy world at war. Multiple character classes are available to play from pikemen and knights to archers, and each class has multiple skills trees that allows characters to level up and learn new skills and gain new abilities. One such ability allows an archer to be based in longbow or crossbow archery, depending on how much damage players want to deal each turn. The turn based combat is based in hexagonal combat, and characters attack, when available, with each movement. It's important to balance character classes to give a nice mix of ranged and melee fighters in each group.
There is even more to do outside of combat in Legends of Eisenwald. Players can customize units with equipment, more durable armor, stronger weapons and better mounts. Units can be further customized in formations to gain strategic advantages when battles begin. One of the latest updates for Legends of Eisenwald added better user interface that allows players to more easily cycle through equipment to equip the best items for each character. Map were also upgraded to make traveling through the overworld more easier than before.
The early version of Legends of Eisenwald doesn't reflect all of what gamers can expect from the full release. The title currently lacks its full campaign, but the developer promises plenty of additional missions are on the way. Additionally, players can look forward to editing tools that allow for the creation of custom campaign missions and levels. Steam players will be able to upload and share their creations with Steam Workshop. There is a decent amount of content already in Legends of Eisenwald, but the future promises even more to do once the full game is released.
The lack of key features aren't the only problems with the game's current build. The game lacks the polish of a completed game; the build's graphics will impress no gamer, and combat animations look painfully awkward. Sound design isn't the strongest in the current version either; a few different sounds can be heard in combat, but there isn't a good mix of sound effects and themes to hear in the game. The final build of Legends of Eisenwald should have a lot more to offer gamers, but diehard RPG fans can still have fun with the game while waiting for a more polished version of the game to release in the near future.
Legends of Eisenwald is now available exclusively on Steam Early Access for PC. For more information on the game, check out the official Legends of Eisdenwald website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Multiple RPG Inspired Classes and Strategy Gameplay
- Available in Steam Early Access
- Steam Workshop Support and Level Editor
- Steam Trading Card Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Aterdux Entertainment
Available exclusively for PC (reviewed)
Release Date: TBA