

The settings are a little light especially with it being a PC game exclusively.
STRONGHOLD WARLORDS LOGO FULL
It’s worth mentioning that the Steam page lists 9 different languages with full audio. The reality is, you may have a vision that’s all in good fun, but that’s not how it will necessarily come across.įirefly Studios has a video about how it was difficult to play the line between “being respectful and not sounding a little bit too comic or cartoony.” Unfortunately, this may be enough to put off people that have an Asian heritage.

While the developer may have intended a not-too-serious tone, the lines can come across a little mockingly. Certain units like samurai may speak Japanese, while others have a cheesy accent spoken in English. The voice acting language varies across each character. 5 – Cheesy Voice Acting That Borders on Mocking But, Firefly Studios goes above and beyond with new and hilarious siege units too. Stronghold: Warlords still has the more traditional siege units people are familiar with. And it doesn’t even stop there, I found out fire birds were used to deliver live incendiaries. Sending an ox packed with fireworks toward an army is not something I expected to find out is real. It’s bizarre to me how ridiculous the siege units in Stronghold: Warlords are, and yet they’re real for the most part. The variety of warlord types between resource and military-focused works well for your needs, even if they sometimes feel required. They then become your new source of wood, stone, or even bows. You may be stuck somewhere that has no trees to chop, but a susceptible warlord is nearby.

This often creates a great opportunity for interesting campaign scenarios. The diplomacy mechanic makes it so you can recruit them with peaceful means. Players who love to take their time before rushing aggressively into fights will enjoy this feature. However, that’s not the main focus of the warlords system. Jumping from 16 lords in Crusader to 4 in Warlords is a little rough. I miss the personalities and voice lines of every unique lord in previous games compared to the quiet warlords here. The warlords system is completely new to me. There’s nothing more satisfying than enemies chasing your horse archers that shoot while moving. The economic campaign is an excellent example alongside the horse-riding Genghis Khan missions too. This makes it a slow start for Stronghold veterans, while creating unique scenarios later on. You’re often restricted to certain buildings and units until you’ve learned enough. However, it doesn’t get into its flow until later missions. To the point that I was comparing Stronghold: Warlords missions side by side with in-depth pages of sieges and conquests. Thinking back to an Asian history course I took in college, these missions inspired me to look them up. There are five campaigns each heavily inspired by Asian history with warlords, shoguns, and prestigious commanders. The Stronghold: Warlords campaign is a good mix between explaining the mechanics and interesting scenarios. 2 – Solid Campaign With 20-30 Hours of Content The Mongolian throat-singing is also a marvelous touch for such a distinctive soundtrack. These minor changes keep it familiar while still providing new content to enjoy. In addition to Zen Gardens and Kung Fu Plazas to keep peasants happy. For example, temples and statues replace cathedrals for a new Spirit system.

Firefly Studios successfully keeps past features while putting an Asian twist on them. As a fan of those that hasn’t played the more recent ones, I loved my time with Warlords. Continue reading below for my thoughts on the full game in this review.ġ – Stronghold: Warlords is an Excellent Return to the FranchiseĪ lot of Stronghold fans are worried about how Stronghold: Warlords holds up to the original games. Now that I’ve had plenty of time with it, I can safely say Firefly Studios nailed their Asian setting for Stronghold: Warlords. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Stronghold: Warlords demo back in June 2020 during a Steam Game Festival. The Stronghold franchise has always been a strong source of nostalgia for me growing up on the original and Crusader.
