Following a lengthy apparent absence, I’ve returned with a spanking new review of King’s Bounty: Armored Princess. This game, like its predecessor King’s Bounty: The Legend, would probably have eluded most of your game-detection radars, given that neither the franchise nor the developer is very well-known. However, that does not prevent the 2 games from being fun and rewarding to play.
King’s Bounty: Armored Princess can be described of as similar to the Heroes of Might and Magic games in terms of combat and exploration. However, unlike those games, KB:AP removes the empire-building aspect of gameplay and replaces it with a richer RPG experience, complete with a lengthy main quest and a bevy of side-quests. It also provides an extensive selection of troops and spells to choose from, allowing players to field an array of different strategies and tactics to deal with different battles. So, how does KB:AP stand up to closer scrutiny?
Good Points
+ Lengthy Gameplay – A game that provides enough quests to require more than a week of my time is certainly considered lengthy, given my decidedly awe-inspiring gaming credentials. As was mentioned above, a plethora of quests exist in the game, so that you may fully satiate your thirst for mission-completion.
+ Wide Range of Tactics – Having many different troops, some of which are weak or strong against certain attacks, expand the tactical possibilities available to you. For example, you might not employ fire spiders in a battle against dragons, but instead include the dragon-slaying knight in your army in a stunning display of strategic brilliance. Rounding out the package are the standard spells of healing, haste, stoneskin, etc, all of which allow a tactical genius to manipulate the battlefield to his advantage.
+ Simple Game Mechanics – For a game of such scope, it is good to see that the mechanics are simple and intuitive. The optional tutorial is brief but comprehensive, covering the simple but essential points of the game. Seasoned players of the Heroes of Might and Magic games will feel right at home here.
+ Princess Amelie – I think Princess Amelie, as depicted in the main menu image, is hot. ‘Nuff said.
Neutral Points
= Static Difficulty – Most people would prefer that the difficulty of a particular foe remain static throughout the game. It gives player a sense of growth when you see an enemy described as “lethal” now, but come back 10 levels later and see the same enemy described as “weak”. However, because some main quest battles are fiendishly difficult, static difficulty might mean that you become unable to progress in the game.
= Difficult Bosses – Surprise! This game contains boss fights! And goodness, are the bosses difficult! While it is possible to defeat many of the common enemies roaming around the map without suffering any troop losses, it is possible to get your entire army wiped out when fighting bosses. This is, of course, a fitting behavior for bosses, but the stunningly large variance in difficulty might turn off some players.
= Stealthily Weak Story – At the risk of being flamed for revealing spoilers, I’ll directly say that the main quest is a glorified fetch quest. However, it’s hidden behind various plot points and, coupled with the distraction caused by the substantial amount of side-quests, it’s not likely that this fact will bother you, unless you’re exceptionally particular about the quality of your main quest.
= Wandering Enemies – Enemy troops follow a set patrol path on the game map, allowing you to exploit this feature to sneak past some of them and get at the shiny treasure beyond. However, they also have an aggro range, and some will pursue you if you happen to enter this range. It is, of course, possible to outrun and even outwit their rudimentary AI by juking them, but in my opinion, stationary enemies like those in Heroes of Might and Magic would have been fine.
= Spotty Combat Pathfinding – The pathfinding for your units on the battlefield is disappointingly sub-par, and letting the AI do the pathfinding for you can sometimes result in irretrievable catasthrophe. While the pathfinding will maximise the damage dealt by, say, horsemen, it will usually choose a poor path for the Red Dragon to traverse on it’s Fire Flood ability. Furthermore, there is an aggravating tendency for your own troops to obtusely step on your own traps, making careful micromanagement of the pathfinding a necessary skill to possess.
Bad Points
- Tedious – The game threatens to descend into the dark pit of tedium quite a few times. This fact becomes exceptionally apparent when your army grows strong enough to steamroll all common opposition in just the first turn of combat. Even though we know that this is done in the name of leveling up to gain an even larger advantage over opponents, it does not make it any easier. Veterans of grindfests should have no problems dealing with this, but for other players, it is important to note that grinding is extra crucial in this game, and you’ll see why in the next point.
- Dead-End – It is possible to play yourself into a dead end due to certain poor choices made at any point during the game. Whether or not the problem exists between the keyboard and chair is of little consequence; a poor choice at the start should not lead to an impasse later in the game. Factors which might cause this to happen range from not grinding the bonus-bestowing achievements, to losing too many troops and running out of money or troops to hire. When this happens, you’ll swiftly discover that all remaining enemies are out of your league. With no available means to close that gap, you will find that you have effectively played yourself into a dead end.
It would appear that, despite certain good features, the possibility of a game-breaking event happening is a very serious flaw. However, by making careful choices and making the correct moves, it becomes easier to stave off this horrific event, allowing the positive aspects of the game to shine through. If you have some time to spare and you liked Heroes of Might and Magic, definitely give King’s Bounty: Armored Princess a try.
Finally, as an omake for the anime-watchers, do take some time to check out this moderately humorous webpage(Slightly NSFW).
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