Warlords Battlecry III Review

Warlords Battlecry III

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Publisher: Enlight Interactive

Developer: Infinite Interactive

Category: Strategy

Release Dates

N Amer - 05/17/2004

Intl - 06/25/2004

Electronic - 10/02/2006

Official Game Website

Warlords Battlecry III Review

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Join with the many races of Etheria as you fight your way through the ruins, jungles and deserts of the southern continent of Keshan, searching for new lands to conquer, and the treasure with which you might build an Empire. Or take the role of the Ssrathi the snakemen of Keshan as they repel the invaders and then unleash the full might of their empire upon the northern realms! Whatever role you decide to take, the action is almost non-stop.

WB3 Is a RTS or maybe it’s a RPG. In either case you start off by choosing one of 16 races. These include Knight, Ranger, Bard, Druid, Shaman, Dragon Slayer, etc. Then you can choose one of 28 classes. These include Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, The Swarm, etc. Your Hero will develop attributes and ability points as you gain experience through the game. Letting you decide how your character will develop over time.

Like most RTS games, you start out building your small empire. Mining resources (4 in all), then using those resources to purchase buildings, upgrades, armies, etc. Meanwhile the enemy is constantly truing to slow you down by sending troops in to destroy you. Once you have a strong enough fortification, and sufficient armies, it is time to carry out your campaign mission. Each mission you will gain a bounty (crowns) that you can use to purchase weapons or to allow you to start off with a larger army off the get go. You can also use or trade the magical weapons you find for more crowns if so desired. One nice thing I like about this game is that the items you find are pretty scarce and only your hero can use them. So you are not constantly toggling through inventory screens trying to decide what to keep, drop or sell. This leaves much more time to play the game, then trying to micro manage.

For the most part BW3 is like any typical RTS. It is the RPG element that will for sure attract gamers especially those Diablo fans. You will build your empire and hack and slash your way through the 70 some missions that will for sure bring days of gaming entertainment. With all the different races and classes to choose from, this title should provide more re-playability than most games.

Graphically the game is ok. Most RTS games usually do lack the eye-popping graphics gamers have come to expect in FPS type games. This title is no different, but visually the game is just fine for the type of game it is and does not hinder gameplay in any way. The audio portion is pretty darn good if you ask me. Sure we have heard most of the sound effects before from other games, but the musical score is just plain awesome. In my opinion it could rival any title track from any medieval motion picture. Way to go sound guys!

This game is well worth the money. With all the different combinations to choose from it is almost certain that no two games would be alike. Some missions are also replayable to let you gain XP quicker to level up your character that much quicker for those harder tasks. Those gamers who really enjoy customizing there own game will be pleased to know that there is also a map and campaign editor as well.

Review Scoring Details for Warlords Battlecry III

Gameplay: 8
Very fluid and no load screens (except for the beginning of course.) For a RTS/RPG there was no need for a manual to play once you play the short tutorial. The Manual is much more in depth and can save you hours of trial and error, but if you want to be playing inside of ten minutes, just play the quick tutorial. If the game gets too tough, you can toggle the difficulty settings to make it a little more bearable. This will effect your experience, but can get you past those tough scenarios.

Graphics: 7.5
Nothing eye-popping here, but not exactly terrible. We have seen this before in both RTS and RPG games. As one could imagine this does not hinder gameplay in any way.

Sound: 8.5
The musical score is top notch. In fact it is one of the best I have heard. It is very relaxing and gives you a nice medieval feel. The sound effects are what you would expect from this type of game; in fact we have heard most of these sounds in other games. Definitely pleasing and immerse you in the game.

Difficulty: Medium
You can toggle the settings, but even on the easiest settings, it can be difficult. Each quest will deliver its own degree of difficulty and can become quite challenging. The short tutorial will have you playing in no time, and keeps you from having to thumb through a manual to figure the game out.

Concept: 7.5
I have always liked games that are a hybrid of sorts. Sure we have seen games like this in the past but this one shouldn't disappoint any fan of the genre.

Multiplayer: 7.5
At time of review, The Enlight lobby is still having problems. So far I was able to play, and when you are not having connection issues it is quite fun. The Lobby is where you can find other players. It still could use some finishing touches to make finding a game a bit easier, but for all intensive purposes though, it does work. Once in a room joining a game is easy and loads of fun once you get started. Hopefully some Forum suggestions will take hold, to make the Multiplayer experience even that much more enjoyable. At time of review many people were still experiencing difficulty at the lobby, hopefully this will be fixed soon!

Overall: 8
Well worth the money, and should provide loads of replayability with all the different characters you can create, plus the multiplayer world as well.