Outils compatibles

Synopsis

Reminding me very much of the old CRL game Legend, Feudal Lords is a relatively simple medieval strategy game, for one to four players, each playing a feudal lord. The play, which takes place on the restricted area of Euthrania, is divided into small sections. The winner is decided when one of the lords takes possession of all of the territories. You lose when your own home territory (the one containing your castle) is taken by another lord.

On the whole you might think that Feudal Lords offers an encouraging blend of strategy and tactics, but actual gameplay does not live up to the early promise. The trouble with this game is that it is too heavily weighted towards combat (the economics do not make a whole lot of difference) and the artificial intelligence is, on the other hand, unfair towards the player during one-player games. Three CPU lords will talk among themselves and one of the three will hits you with everything he has got.

The turn method is unfair too. Instead of the game allowing simultaneous orders to be fed into the play, you are treated to a random turn method. Hence you may be first to make a move on turn one, third to move on turn two, etc. When the position is critical this sort of potential to wreak havoc can be devastating - all because of the poorly designed game system!

The theories of combat integrated within the game are fictional and poorly managed. Far too much emphasis is placed upon the knight as the all-important power in the game and too little credit is given to the bowmen who are not, according to the manual, very useful in normal battle – ever heard of Agincourt, Impressions?

Disappointing gameplay, poor game design, a shoddy manual, the game crushes when you lose… Need I go on?

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