


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.
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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. "Introducing co-op means that one player can handle base building, while the other leads their forces into battle or prepares their defences for an incoming siege.The Stronghold franchise has always been a strong source of nostalgia for me growing up on the original and Crusader.

"Stronghold is already a complex game for newcomers, with the mix of economic city building, castle simulation and real-time strategy" said Marketing Director Nick Tannahill. Then in the endgame while one player lays siege to the enemy their co-op partner can divert resources and direct pincer attacks from nearby friendly warlords. Early on in a match one player could manage their castle estate, while the other forms alliances with warlords to bring in valuable resources and secure strategic positions across the map. Co-op means advanced players can share the 'grand strategy' gameplay between them, optimising their use of each warlord for economic or militaristic purposes. The new warlords system, which allows players to command a network of unique warlords across the battlefield with their own castles and armies, also benefits from this new game mode.
