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Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes Mini Review
Chris Leyton
12/10/2005
Phantagram returns with a compelling blend of Hack `n` Slash action and strategy...
Phantagram, Deep Silver and Blue Side Studios have once again teamed up with a sequel of sorts to last yearās sleeper hit, Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders. The appropriately named Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes continues the path laid down by its predecessor, merging tactical RTS unit control with the hack ānā slash action akin to the Dynasty Warriors series; however this time around the developers have focussed around online multiplayer with the inclusion of a strong Xbox Live component.
Taking place in the same timeframe as The Crusaders, Heroes is based upon events that took place before the epic war, hidden incidents during the conflict and decisive battles that were not featured in its predecessor; as such thereās plenty to discover if youāre a fan of the series, however the gameās narrative does an equally good job of introducing newcomers to the warring continent of Bersia.
With seven different characters to choose between, each representing an entire campaign from the side of the human alliance or the dark legion, thereās plenty to get stuck into with the varying levels of difficulty on offer providing a single-player campaign that weighs in at 50 hours of solid gameplay ā“ we canāt think of too many other Xbox titles that can claim the same. The structure of the campaigns can be a little bewildering to newcomers, emphasised by the fact that one of the two initially open campaigns provides a much better tutorial then the other; however KUF veterans will be pleased to note that the presence of a saved Crusaders file on your Xbox will open up all of the campaigns right from the start.
Once again the balance between tactics and all-out action proves to be a compelling mix, whilst RPG-like upgrades provide the depth needed to sustain interest in the game. Players assume the role of the titular heroes; however youāll often have a number of units to control ranging from Cavalry to Archers, Sapperās to the gigantic Swamp Mammoths. Switching between the various units is handled with the shoulder triggers, whilst a small amount of commands are also to hand allowing you to follow other units easily and spread or close formations to reduce the chance of attack or increase running speed respectively.
Taking control of the units during the RTS like aspects of the game is a relatively stress-free affair, particularly with the use of the excellent multi-map which provides the basis for some clever tactical manoeuvres. When conflict occurs with the Heroās unit the game instantaneously switches to a hack ānā slash; although the action can begin to get a little monotonous (largely because of the missions length) thereās plenty of techniques at the players hand and youāre free to let the AI handle that side of things whilst you take a respite by planning the next wave of operations. On the whole however thereās a good sense of variety between the seven playable characters, which helps to keep you coming back for more and thereās no denying that the action provides the perfect balance to the tactics and strategy involved.
Your side is broken down into numerous units; taking direct control over the Hero, two officers will provide covering support and special abilities, backed by a squadron of units. Youāll also have other units to handle as mentioned above, whilst the huge amount of upgrades via the tech-tree provided to each hero/officer/unit really gives Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes the sustainable depth that many in the genre lack. Each unit has varying special abilities such as the creation of a Scout from an Infantry unit or Fire Arrows from the Archers, which helps to provide a significant level of choice and variety to the player.
Being critical despite the gameās many plus points there are one or two issues that drags down the experience. The sheer linearity of the mission structure and objectives is disappointing; one such example at the beginning of Walterās campaign tasks the player with burning down encampments with the archer units at his disposal, loose these however and you are genuinely stumped and have no other choice to restart the mission despite the fact Walter has access to a Meteor special power that would easily raze such an establishment to the ground.
Path-finding also appears to be an issue with the aforementioned encampments proving to be a major stumbling block when it comes to units working out the correct way to get past them ā“ watching your units blindly running against obstacles completely shatters the illusion that the rest of the game manages to create.
Xbox Live features in the shape of three different modes that will boost the longevity past the 50 hour mark for the true fanatics. Hero Battle mode pits up to 6 players against each other as the various heroes compete against each other in a typical beat-em-up/hack ānā slash fashion; Invasion mode pits players against waves of invading AI enemies trying to breah your castle walls; whilst the Troop Battle mode proves to be the most substantial, pitting players with a Hero, three infantry units, one archer unit and one aerial support unit in an all-out battle for supremacy. Online rankings and downloadable content also feature, making this essential for fans of the series.
Thereās a rough and edgy look to the style of Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes which suits the game well. Cut-scenes feature the bobbing camera effect akin to news footage taken from war zones; although some could criticise the lack of quality, weāre of the opinion that it suits the nature of the game and lends something to the overall style. Chucking around hundreds of characters Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes, like its predecessor, most impresses when itās in the middle of a heated battle; thereās a real sense of brutality and ferocity to the game told by the sheer intensity of what unfolds onscreen.
Which can also be said of the gameās ill-suited rock music; again itās a question of taste, but for us thereās something apt about running into combat with the sound of wailing guitars behind you. Sadly the same cannot be said about the comical voice acting, which will leave you desperately jumping through the lengthy narrative that frequents the game.
Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes makes several minor changes to its predecessor but largely follows the same path. If you were a fan of The Crusaders and want more or the opportunity to take it online weād advise checking Heroes out; equally if youāre looking for something a little different but have yet to sample the series.
The game does have its fair share of frustrations and flaws, but for those not entirely put off by the sight of yet more orcs and dark elves Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes remains a worthwhile purchase.
