Sorcerer King: Rivals

Nice game

So much potential, just slightly bad design, slightly too few options, played a map once and wasn't impressed.. then forgot and played it again... as soon as I saw the end zone, I remembered it, and was sad when I did. But for the first few hours, it was fun, and I had hopes... now I'm hoping I don't forget it was a disappointment.

Just horribly bad and buggy.

While it wasn't really what I was looking for personally, it wasn't really bad. (And I do note something about the reviews for this game: most of the reviews just talk about some other single specific game instead. I don't think reviewing a game should only revolve around another single game.) I'm still recommending this for a few reasons: - I can actually tell where objects and armies are on the map. This is a huge issue with newer 4x games where everything looks like a busy mesh of busy-ness and blurs together. - I can actually tell where units are in battle. Same as above, when in other games, "units" are represented by a cluster of teeeny tiny little ants, indistinguishable from another stack of ants. - The spell system looks cool - Has UI scaling options - Nice artwork

Don't understand the negative comments on this game. It plays a lot like Homm, with simple city upgrades and exploration which, imho, can't be that bad. Not being too complex isn't necessarily a negative point, if you're just looking for some entertainment without making a chore out of it. As for replayability, I've had several runs and I'm not quitting it yet, so that also depends on personal taste.

Dated game. Looks like a Diet Age of Wonders.

I love strategy games and magic. I also remember playing this particular game long time ago and liking it. The game has some interesting mechanics and spells. But now, after trying it again, I can't recommend it. The interface and controls are bad. The way the armies choose their path is ridiculous. The prediction of how far an army is able to travel in the current turn are incorrect - the game updates them as an army moves. So you can't plan moves in a strategy game, not really. The game crashes regularly. The map generation is bad - you can basically end up in a long corridor between the see and the mountains and be stuck there for 50 turns. I saw a faction spawning in a small pocket inside a ring of mountains - without any chance of getting out of there. The AI is idiotic - it might have a dozen one-unit armies at the same tile without ever merging those armies. And losing them one by one easily. The game quickly turns into a slog - with you just having to hold against waves and waves low-quality easy to defeat armies spawning and rushing you one by one. It is not hard to defeat those, but it takes a lot of time you could have spent doing something more interesting. I really wanted to finish a game for the old times sake. But I just can't.

The performance... this game is unplayable.

[h1]FR/EN Sorcerer King : Rivals[/h1] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3650744401 [h3]---FR---[/h3] Sorcerer King : Rivals est un bon RPG 4X stratégique. Ici on se retrouve à la tête d'une ville qu'il va falloir faire grandir au fil du temps et des tours qui vont s'enchaîner. On améliore petit à petit nos compétences et on étend notre territoire en visitant les environs. On développe notre royaume progressivement en veillant de ne pas provoquer notre maître sombre tant que l'on a pas les moyens de nos ambitions. [h3]---EN---[/h3] Sorcerer King: Rivals is a solid 4X strategy RPG. Here, you take command of a city that you must develop over time and through successive turns. You gradually improve your skills and expand your territory by exploring the surrounding areas. You develop your kingdom progressively, careful not to provoke your dark master until you have the resources to match your ambitions. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3650744273 [h3]---FR---[/h3] Le jeu offre la possibilité de former des alliances avec les divers royaumes voisins et on avance pas à pas à chaque nouveau tour. On découvre doucement le lore de cet univers qui est riche et détaillé. Les graphismes sont réussis et les musiques collent parfaitement à l'ambiance de l'univers. Le temps passe vite et on se surprend à enchaîner les tours avec le plaisir de voir notre empire s'étendre. Sans être une référence du genre, le jeu est bien fait et vous occupera de nombreuses heures si vous accrochez à l'univers et à son gameplay. [h3]---EN---[/h3] The game offers the possibility of forming alliances with various neighboring kingdoms, and you advance step by step with each new turn. You slowly discover the rich and detailed lore of this universe. The graphics are well done, and the music perfectly complements the atmosphere of the world. Time flies, and you'll find yourself playing turn after turn, enjoying the satisfaction of seeing your empire expand. While not a genre-defining classic, the game is well-made and will keep you occupied for many hours if you become engrossed in its world and gameplay. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3650744436

Nice game. It's pretty straightforward to play, doesn't require a lot of strategy thinking, but it's quite addictive and fun. Unit progression is very satisfying. Well worth a play.