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King Arthur II Preview

We go hands-on with the sequel to the unique RPG/RTS hybrid

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These aspects work to create an addicting RPG experience. Beefing up units and earning new boosts for your general is engaging and strategic, with many combinations possible. Taking on quests on the world map means you’re able to expand your influence by participating in politics, earning respect with various families, or simply trying to force your way to victory. There are many opportunities and resulting consequences presented by the game, with everything from simple combat assignments to participating in the senate hearings. Indeed, the game fully utilizes an almost old-school (like a text adventure) yet extremely engaging conversation mechanic, letting the player actively make decisions by selecting from a variety of actions or things to say. It’s a system that’s fairly simple but works very well to keep you engaged and curious about the potential outcomes of your words and actions in a variety of vastly different situations.
 
King Arthur II
 
The second large gameplay element in King Arhtur II is the strategy battles. These are indeed very familiar to those of Total War. Players begin the battle by positioning their units and planning their attacks in real time by maneuvering their formations and engaging in conflict. The action allows players to fully zoom to the battlefield and see the carnage, with some good detail and animations. It may not feel or look as polished as the recent Total War games, however there are a number of unique elements which offset these shortcomings. First off, maps have strategic points which, when captured, provide buffs to your army. Generals are also crucial, as they are fully capable of using magic to help the cause. Everything from raining down lightning to buffing your troops is fair game, and adds yet another mechanic to the battles. Because the game is set in a magical world, there are many types of units, including flying ones - and even though their presence in the preview build was limited, it’s yet another outcome-altering mechanic that’s unique for this sort of game.
 
King Arthur II
 
King Arthur II supports DirectX11, which makes the game look quite good at times, though frame rate struggles a bit when there are a lot of units on screen. As mentioned before, the camera can be freely controlled during the RTS battles and zoomed in to see the carnage up close. The soundtrack and effects are minimal but they do the job, and on the other hand all of the texts are fully voiced, adding a lot of immersion to the experience.
 
Fans of the original King Arthur are surely in for a treat, as the game brings some nice changes and expands upon its core offerings. King Arthur II also has a good chance to attract fans of Total War and Might and Magic series with its battle mechanics and turn based exploration, while also offering the uniquely engaging text adventures. This RTS/RPG hybrid looks to be a deep yet accessible title and should be on the radar of all self-proclaimed strategists with an interest in role playing. King Arthur II - The Role-playing Wargame is set to release on PC in January 2012.
 

Comments
King Arthur II
King Arthur II box art Platform:
PC
Our Review of King Arthur II
62%
Adequate
The Verdict:
Game Ranking
King Arthur II is ranked #1564 out of 1957 total reviewed games. It is ranked #121 out of 145 games reviewed in 2012.
1563. 3 on 3 NHL Arcade
Xbox 360
1564. King Arthur II
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Screenshots

King Arthur II
22 images added Feb 13, 2012 21:40
Videos
King Arthur II - Developer Video
Posted: Dec 27, 2011 16:30
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