Majesty 2 - The Fantasy Kingdom Sim Preview

I remember that when Majesty was released several years ago, it looked intriguing and I wanted to play it. For whatever reason at the time, though, I never did get a chance to do so. Now, Majesty 2 is set to be released soon, and I have a demo of the game to preview. So far, so good; it’s a different type of strategy game, but one that is interesting enough to keep a player’s attention.

The similarities to mainstream strategy games are the use of resources, fantasy type figures and the building up of a kingdom. The gameplay takes place in real-time. The difference to other strategy games in Majesty 2 lies in the manner in which players direct their units. Instead of issuing commands to units and watching them move and act accordingly, players will place “flags” on areas they wish their units to act on, place some type of monetary reward on the flags, and wait for an “interested party” to go earn the bounty.

For instance, if exploring the map is needed, players can place explore flags on the map edges, choose a monetary reward amount, and wait for a unit to respond. Early in the game, warriors, rangers and rogues are available for exploration and defense purposes. I chose to build a rangers guild, and purchased a few rangers. Then, I set an exploration flag and put some money on it. The rangers responded by advancing over to the flag I had set. Unfortunately, they were always attacked by enemy skeletons and killed. Pitiful rangers these guys are, unlike Aragorn and his tribe. I then built a warriors guild and placed more exploration flags with rewards. The warriors responded and were much tougher than the rangers, as they killed all the skeletons they encountered.

For other tasks like killing bears and such, I just kept using the warriors. They are expensive, though. However, there are plenty of opportunities for increasing the money fund. Taxes provide the major source of revenue, but erecting businesses can earn money when the various units purchase items from these buildings.

The gameplay is laid out in missions, which are divided into chapters. These missions have goals that have to be met for victory. The goals are introduced by a herald type of person who announces news, similar in manner to a press release. The quests are then available for later viewing in a task list.

Majesty 2 plays much like a simulation game; I guess that’s why “Sim” is in the title, huh. Players take certain actions from time to time, but then wait to see what will happen. These units have a mind of their own, so there is definitely a lot of room for open-ended play.

Visually, everything looks pretty good, although these aren’t the best graphics I’ve seen. Many of the items aren’t yet available in their final form, but have boxes as placeholders.

Majesty 2 looks to be a decently fun game that is a cross between a strategy and a simulation game. If the final version features increasingly complex missions and a good length of gameplay, then Majesty 2 should present a solid gaming experience.