14 DAY TRIAL // For about a week now, I've been playing King Arthur – the Role Playing Wargame, a title created by Neocore Games, which has also made Crusader - Thy Kingdom Come. And, despite some flaws, the game offers quite a unique and engaging experience that, as the name implies, uses a base structure similar to that of the Total War series from The Creative Assembly, with character development that would not be out of place in a classic role playing experience.
The world designed in the game is impressive. All the Knights of the Round Table you might have heard about are there, able to be recruited through various adventures and in need of constant attention, ready to leave King Arthur if they are not granted powerful artifacts, impressive wives and territories to control.
The armies are made up of Medieval British units with a fantasy twist, which can be upgraded and gain special abilities but Vikings and more fantastical creatures also make appearances. And at each point, the game offers a variety of choices allowing the player to customize their armies and the way they manage their lands by choosing between being Tyrannical, Rightful, Christian or an Old Faith loyalist.
There are also Strongholds to be managed, troops to be upgraded and battles to be fought with heroes that have specific roles and spells, which can be used to turn the tide. It feels a lot like a Medieval 2 Total War with magic and more fantasy, and it plays well, with battles tough and engaging, plus the overall interesting strategic choices.
Until now, the only complaints about King Arthur are related to how unfair tough archers (especially elite ones) can be, decimating whole armies with their arrows, and how the game often throws some very tough fights at the player without telling them to prepare for something critical by bringing the best units and troops they have.