Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders

Steep Learning Curve

With all of the things you can do and all of the stuff you have to manage, the learning curve is pretty steep. You can’t just expect to run headfirst into battle and still pull out a victory. Luckily, the game gives you plenty of tutorials for each new set of units and allows you to practice all you want. Becoming a tactical genius doesn’t happen overnight, though, and it takes quite a bit of studying and trial and error before you really become proficient at simultaneously fighting and moving units into the optimum positions. It doesn’t help any that the game is actually pretty difficult. Some missions require you to do specific things such as move your troops to a certain point by a certain time, and if you aren’t good at the game it can get pretty tricky. If you aren’t prepared for the combat or strategy or RPG elements, The Crusaders can seem pretty overwhelming. All of the frustration you’ll have to put up with for the first few hours is worth it, though, because when you pull off a perfectly timed, multilayered offensive you can’t help but sit back and enjoy yourself. This game simply works very well. Don’t let the depth turn you away too quickly because you’ll be missing out on something special.

Xbox Live Play

Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders also allows you to play against another human via Xbox Live. You pick one of the four main characters and then choose your units just like in the single player game. You can gain experience points and upgrade your troops as you play so you can eventually build a very powerful army with which to take on the Xbox Live community. The game will match you with other players of similar skill and strength, so it isn’t likely you’ll face an opponent too powerful for you to beat with your superior intellect. There isn’t any music or cutscenes or anything like that during multiplayer matches, though, so the battles don’t match the huge, epic feel of the single player game. It is still a very worthwhile mode if you can really get into the gameplay and learn how to play the game well.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics in The Crusaders are extremely impressive. Not only are there dozens and dozens of characters on screen at any given time, but they are all really detailed and look unbelievable. The main characters look great, of course, but all of your troops look really great as well. The enemies look great as well and even though they are orcs and elves and other recognizable stuff, they are a little bit different than you are used to seeing them and the little changes are very refreshing after all of the LotR madness over the last few years. When you consider that all of these great looking characters are all fighting at the same time with nice animation, little details such as rippling cloth, and nice lighting effects, the graphics are even more impressive.

The sound is also very well done. Rather than going with an orchestral, epic-sounding soundtrack, the music in The Crusaders instead uses blaring heavy metal guitars. It sounds a bit crazy, but it works incredibly well. The story is told entirely through spoken dialogue, and most of the voice actors did a good job. The sound effects of battle also sound really nice and cap off a pretty amazing overall presentation.

Bottom Line

If you like strategy games, RPGs, or the frenzied combat of Dynasty Warriors, you’ll most likely find a lot to enjoy in Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders. If you like all three, well, you’re really in for a treat. It isn’t the easiest game in the world to master, but the satisfaction you get from leading your troops to victory is absolutely worth the time it takes to learn how to play the game well. Online multiplayer is just icing on the cake. The Crusaders is a big enough game that it is worth a purchase, but rent it first to make sure you can get into it before you buy it. A solid, satisfying game that deserves to be played.