Driftland: The Magic Revival

Прикольна РТС. Маєш імперію, маєш острови, які ширяють у небі над планетою, на якій стався армагедець через могутніх магів, які запізно зрозуміли, що треба припиняти ворожнечу, але не занадто, щоби кастонути останнє заклинання, яке дало змогу залишкам людей, темних ельфів та гномів (начебто не було інших рас) вижити, та почати відновлюватися на цих же островах. Острови бувають різні, з різними ресурсами, тож особисто я, не перебирав, та тягнув до себе всі, що міг, як тільки з'являлася така можливість. Багато РТС мені зіграти не довелося, але ця, як і решта, мабуть, ставить перед гравцем ціль, яку треба досягнути. Це якщо говорити про кампанію, яка має навчати гравця, як грати, але щось вона не дуже мене навчила, бо як тільки я отримав змогу самостійно потикати кнопочки, та почитати описи, то й сам розібрався, що до чого, а от оте навчання таке собі, бо у моєму випадку, деякі базові речі мені почали пояснювати уже на третьому рівні (грав кампанію за людей). Та є у грі кастомні режими, де можна налаштувати свій сценарій гри, як захочеться, ну, там багато було параметрів, але мені вже не хотілося розбиратися що до чого, після восьми годин гри (з перервами), томууу, кампанію раджу хіба якщо вам дуже цікаво, що ж у грі по сюжету.

Прошел всю в свое время, игра оч хорошая. Жалко что не развили дальше как стратегию.

A consistant issue with multiplayer. When I first played it in 2019, my friend and I were able to play coop together. Now it refuses to connect in Multiplayer. On further reading I see this is a consistant issue since 2020 that the developers have been unable to resolve. I have only ever played this game in coop, which means for me it is no longer playable.

Good game

Driftland: The Magic Revival is a fantasy strategy game that takes familiar real-time strategy mechanics and reshapes them into something far more experimental and imaginative. Developed by Star Drifters, the game blends city-building, empire management, magical warfare, and god-game mechanics into a world literally broken apart by ancient magical catastrophe. Rather than focusing purely on direct military control like many traditional RTS titles, Driftland emphasizes large-scale planning, magical manipulation of the environment, and indirect leadership over semi-autonomous armies. The result is a strategy experience that feels both relaxing and strategically demanding, offering a refreshing alternative to more conventional fantasy RTS games. The setting immediately gives the game a unique identity. Long ago, powerful mage wars shattered the planet into countless floating islands suspended in the sky. To prevent total destruction, surviving sorcerers used magic to stabilize the remains of the world, creating a fragmented civilization spread across drifting landmasses connected by unstable magical bridges. Players assume the role of a Mage Overlord attempting to rebuild civilization, expand territory, and dominate rival factions while navigating a world permanently scarred by magical disaster. The floating-island premise influences nearly every major gameplay system, making the world itself feel like an active part of the strategy rather than simple background decoration. One of the game’s most original mechanics is the ability to physically move islands around the map using magic. Instead of relying on traditional territorial expansion, players reshape geography itself by pulling islands closer together, connecting them with bridges, and reorganizing the structure of their empire. This creates a constant sense of magical world-building rarely seen in strategy games. Expansion becomes both a logistical and tactical challenge because the placement of islands directly affects defense, resource access, and transportation efficiency. Watching an empire slowly spread across the skies by rearranging entire landscapes creates a powerful feeling of magical authority and long-term strategic progression. The city-building systems are another major strength. Players must carefully balance resources such as mana, food, gold, stone, and wood while expanding settlements across multiple islands. Different landmasses provide unique environmental conditions and resource opportunities, forcing players to think carefully about where to build infrastructure and how to maintain economic stability. As empires grow larger, resource chains become increasingly complicated, requiring efficient planning and constant expansion. The game manages to create strategic depth without becoming overwhelmingly complex, making the progression systems approachable while still rewarding careful long-term management. One of the most unusual aspects of Driftland is its indirect approach to army control. Rather than commanding every unit individually during battle, players issue broader strategic orders while heroes and armies operate semi-independently through AI behavior. This system clearly draws inspiration from strategy games focused more heavily on leadership and kingdom management than precise battlefield micromanagement. At its best, the mechanic creates the impression of ruling a living empire where units respond dynamically to changing situations without constant player input. However, it can also become frustrating during critical battles when units fail to behave exactly as intended. Some players will appreciate the reduced micromanagement, while others may find the lack of precise tactical control difficult to fully embrace. Combat becomes increasingly chaotic and visually impressive during later stages. Massive armies clash across bridges suspended between floating islands while magical storms, summoned creatures, and devastating spells reshape the battlefield. Magic is not limited to combat either. Players can manipulate terrain, summon disasters, alter island structures, and even steal territory directly from opponents. This constant interaction between environmental manipulation and warfare gives battles a spectacular fantasy atmosphere that separates Driftland from more grounded RTS games. The faction variety also adds considerable replay value. Humans, dwarves, wild elves, and dark elves all possess distinct strengths, technologies, magical specialties, and military units that significantly change strategic approaches. Some factions emphasize economic efficiency and defensive expansion, while others focus more heavily on aggressive warfare or magical superiority. These differences encourage experimentation and make each playthrough feel mechanically distinct depending on the chosen civilization. Visually, the game is consistently attractive and atmospheric. Floating islands suspended above endless skies create a beautiful fantasy setting filled with waterfalls cascading into clouds, glowing magical effects, flying beasts, and colorful landscapes. The world feels simultaneously majestic and fragile, constantly reminding players that civilization exists on the remains of a broken planet barely held together by magic. Spell effects and environmental details become especially impressive during large-scale battles where multiple factions and magical powers collide across the sky. The soundtrack complements the atmosphere extremely well. Orchestral fantasy music creates a calm and adventurous tone during exploration and empire management while gradually becoming more dramatic during warfare and major conflicts. Ambient environmental sounds and magical effects help reinforce the sense that the world itself is alive and unstable. Combined with the visual design, the soundtrack gives the game a surprisingly immersive fantasy atmosphere that balances peaceful city-building with large-scale magical warfare. The game’s pacing differs significantly from more aggressive competitive RTS titles. Driftland often feels slower and more methodical, encouraging long-term planning and gradual expansion rather than constant rapid-fire combat. Some players may find this pacing relaxing and strategically rewarding, while others expecting faster action-oriented gameplay may occasionally feel the slower progression dragging during extended matches. The campaign itself provides a decent introduction to the mechanics, although the sandbox and skirmish modes arguably showcase the game’s systems more effectively by allowing greater experimentation and creative empire-building. Despite its creativity, the game does have flaws. The indirect control system remains divisive and can occasionally create frustrating situations where armies behave inefficiently during combat. The interface also requires time to fully understand because many mechanics operate differently from traditional RTS standards. Certain visual assets and environmental designs are reused frequently, slightly reducing the uniqueness between different regions and factions over longer sessions. Additionally, while the core systems are innovative, the narrative and campaign missions sometimes feel less memorable than the gameplay mechanics themselves. For fans of fantasy strategy games, city-builders, and unconventional RTS mechanics, Driftland: The Magic Revival offers a rewarding and highly imaginative experience. Its blend of magical world manipulation, economic planning, semi-autonomous warfare, and atmospheric world-building creates a fantasy strategy game that feels genuinely distinct within the genre. While its slower pacing and unusual systems may not appeal to every RTS player, those willing to adapt to its unique design philosophy will discover a deeply creative and visually memorable strategy experience. Rating: 7/10

Острова, парящие над облаками, легкие мостики, соединяющие их... Дежавю далекой юности. Это же прямо как Netstorm: Island At War, первая RTS в моей жизни и одна из первых игр на своем РС! Но нет, кроме идеи с парящими островками, никакого сходства нет. Нетсторм - мрачный и суровый технофэнтези с артиллерийским огнем и единственным ресурсом. Здесь же смесь боевой RTS с экономическим и градостроительным симулятором. Видов ресурсов здесь много, а пространства для строительства - мало, так что от нас требуется постоянная экспансия. Иногда случаются и управленческие головоломки. Можно сыграть за несколько рас - хотя разница между ними не критическая. И здания, и юниты большей частью повторяются. Дизайн яркий и выразительный - но не вырвиглазный. Несколько мультяшновато - но симпатично. Не всё же играть в мрачное и жуткое. Нет прямого управления юнитами, и при отсутствии приказов они вроде как даже живут своей жизнью: бродят по островам, тренируются, сидят у костров. Вот боевая система скучноватая: война тут, в основном, представляет собой состязание в упрямстве. Как это? А сыграете и увидите. (Впрочем, и настоящие войны - ровно то же самое) Из недостатков, кроме боевой системы, могу отметить почти бесконечный запас маны и неудобную систему прокачки юнитов. Когда юнит набирает уровень - у него появляется слот для нового навыка. Навыки надо создавать в казармах, башнях магов и т.д., и это стоит ресурсов. Одни навыки специфичны для определенного класса, некоторые - универсальны. Следить за наличием свободных слотов утомительно, и потому приходится загодя создавать запас навыков. Когда армия большая - эта система раздражает.

Okay game with a good campaign, but a horrible presentation of said campaign. The presentation is text only in the right corner of your screen that can be missed while playing. The AI is just bad and does not fight for or mine resources, it just cheats anything that it needs out of thin air. The gameloop is enjoyable and lets you play just one more island ^^. My rating 6,5/10, if you get it cheap try it out.

Гномы не приручают летучих тварей...гадостно... А так норм👍

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Cool game, you can play it)))))))))))))))))))