Score
Gameplay:	8
Graphics:	8
Sound:	8
FunFactor:	7
PlasmaFactor:	9
Overall:	8

Medieval Lords Review
November 29, 2004 by Steve

by Steve - November 29, 2004

Let me state this right now: I'm a big fan of the city building strategy subgenre. I played games like Pharaoh and Caesar III. So, of course, I had some big expectations for French developer Monte Cristo's take on the genre. Were my expectations fulfilled? Sort of.

Build, Defend, Expand!

If you�ve ever played any other city building strategy game, you should find most of the gameplay in Medieval Lords to be very familiar. If you�re new to the genre, the game will greet you with a great series of starting tutorials. The tutorials will run you through the basics of the game, including construction, technology, and war. You can then jump right into the game�s campaign. In each mission, you�ll be greeted with a set of objectives, like reaching a certain population. The campaign is of medium length and will keep you occupied for awhile. Most of the game�s replayability lies in a very robust scenario editor, where you can create your own maps to play on. There is no multiplayer function, so don't expect any head-to-head matches with your friends. Obviously, the gameplay of Medieval Lords emphasizes building and managing a medieval city. Namely, the focus is put on fulfilling the needs of your citizens so they can upgrade their houses, allowing a larger population. Wells help to fulfill the need for water. Farms and food distribution buildings feed your citizens. Walls, towers, and soldiers make them feel more secure. Other buildings can fulfill their needs for leisure, religion, and sanitation. Buildings like masons and architects must be built in order to access more advanced buildings. Eventually, you�ll reach an enemy�s border. In order to conquer an enemy, you must deploy your troops inside his territory. Both sides are then given a period of time to prepare for battle. The battling is very simple, with the main objective of overtaking the enemy�s main dungeon. The gameplay repeats in a pattern of building, expansion, and conquest.

Ever Seen A Medieval City Before?

The graphics in Medieval Lords are pretty good. The landscape and water are very well done. They really help to draw you into the game's ambient environment. The building models, the focus of the game, are also very well done. Unlike the buildings and landscape, the characters are poorly done. The animations of soldiers and townsfolk are just bad. They look very unnatural. The game's camera can be set up in many different positions, even zooming in all the way to a first person perspective. The graphics, like everything else in the game are good, but not amazing.

What Does A Medieval Town Sound Like?

The music, and audio in general, for Medieval Lords is quite good. Although the music is anything but stunning, it does a good job of adding to the overall atmosphere. While building your city the music is calm. When you're about to attack an enemy, the music becomes faster, adding to the atmosphere of war. Other ambient sounds also help to add to your city. There is no voice acting in the game, but it isn't really needed. Overall, the sound in Medieval Lords isn�t spectacular, but it certainly adds to the game.

Do It All Again

Good gameplay, graphics, and sound make a good game, right? Maybe not. Although the gameplay of Medieval Lords is very solid, it can become very repetitive. The most enjoyable part of the game is when you initially begin building your city. Once you�ve done the majority of your city�s building and expansion, the game can get pretty boring. Constantly trying to fulfill the needs of your citizens, watching levels of food, water, and other resources is repetitive. If you enjoy this type of thing, this game is for you. Most RTS fans will be turned off by a lack of action, and most hard core sim fans will be turned off by a lack of depth.

Tilt

Now don't get me wrong, Medieval Lords is a good game. I may have made some negative comments, but overall Monte Cristo has put out a solid game in a relatively empty genre. They've managed to keep the standards of similar games, while adding their own innovations. The game faithfully brings to life a medieval atmosphere like no other game has. If you're a genre veteran or a newbie, Medieval Lords is worth checking out.

 

Just Short of Spectacular

As you've seen as I went through each of the components of Medieval Lords, the game is pretty good, but not spectacular. Overall I feel that with a few small improvements and gameplay tweaks the game could be amazing. Perhaps these could be solved with a patch, community modifications, or even an expansion pack. But for now, Medieval Lords is just one step below a true classic.