For a long time after falling under the thrall of Disciples II: Dark Prophecy (way back in 2002) then shaking it off (finally), I thought I would never fall victim to another turn-based fantasy game. Like chicken pox. You get it once and the resulting immunity means you'll never get it again, right? Sometimes the pox returns but they call it the less-than-appetizing "shingles." Well, that's what Sorcerer King is shaping up to be; shingles. In a good way, honest.
Sorcerer King puts players in the unenviable position of facing down an overwhelming and superior force under the control of the titular Sorcerer King, who is bent on destroying a series of magical shards that will cement his position at the top of the food chain. The player's goal is to destroy the Sorcerer King, which is easier if the player has forged small alliances along the way and made careful upgrades and fought some decisive battles.
As a turn-based 4X game -- eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate -- Sorcerer King operates its strategy on a number of different levels. There's the isometric map view where broad stroke strategy is implemented, moving pieces around the map, capturing resources and territory and running into random characters that hand out objectives and quests; battlefields where the player must manage a clutch of unit types against an opposing force; and stat sheets and equipment management alongside kingdom/castle upgrades. It can become overwhelming at times, especially because the interface doesn't feel intuitive or even obvious and takes some time to learn everything. Fortunately, the game still has some time before it's release.
And I really hope that time is used to flesh out a full tutorial because it's sorely missing. If the game moved at a breakneck pace, it might be a nail in the coffin but because it's all turn-based and everything can be carefully considered, it's not a deal breaker, especially if you have any experience with 4X games.
Even then, the game manages to create a sense of urgency with the Doomsday Counter, which is always inching forward. Throughout Sorcerer King, it seems that every action has some kind of push/pull on the Doomsday Counter, but mostly it's a push. Sometimes the most innocuous things can push the Counter forward (occasionally back) and if the Counter reaches it's endpoint, hey, guess what, Doomsday and game over! With that simple little addition it makes each step one to be considered and much more interesting, especially during battles because if just a couple go sideways it can mean a quick end and the Sorcerer King's ultimate triumph.
Maybe that's what makes it so engrossing at least with . I tried to limit my overall exposure to the game so as not to influence a full review later on, but it was hard. From what I played, Sorcerer King has it's 4X hooks out ready to grip me and drag me down into a fantasy realm of shingles.
The game's in Steam Early Access at the moment but the full game is expected "early 2015."
- Aaron Simmer
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