14 DAY TRIAL // I am trying to spread my state religion, first to my outlying cities and then, maybe, even to the empires around me. But constantly placating its leaders is hard work and they take up resources that might have a bigger impact in other areas.
And now the Patriarch is asking me to get rid of a temple to the Amazons, founded early in the rise of my kingdom. And I am seriously thinking if I might be better served by finding a more pliable faith leader for the future.
The Sacred and The Profane is the second piece of downloadable content for Old World, again developed by Mohawk Games and published by Hooded Horse. The DLC introduces, as the name suggests, a range of new religious elements to the strategy game.
The strategy game allows players to choose from a few powerhouses of the Ancient Period to then guide them to victory over their rivals. The game’s narrative system is enhanced with more than 300 new events, with a focus on how belief affects both characters and the states they are leading.
Six new historical characters make an appearance: Paul, Christian bishop and missionary, Sappho, the Greek poet, Mani, the founder of Manicheism, Ostanes, magician and mystic, Josephus, Jewish general and scholar, and Hypatia, philosopher and scientist.
The Sacred and The Profane also expands city projects with 10 new religion-focused ones, both linked to event chains and delivered as upgrades for already existing ones. The extra depth for religion also involved more interaction with leaders of faith, which can lead to bonuses or dissent.
It’s enough to create extra demands for players, who will have to divert some resources to the new projects, especially if they want to make their state system of belief the dominant one. Event chains open up new possibilities and add to the narrative elements of Old World.
The core mechanics remain engaging. The turn-based strategy side of the game is pretty classic, aside from the addition of orders as a limiting element for units. Basically, as civilizations develop, players will have to prioritize and choose where to act first.
But the most interesting element of Old World is the focus on characters and interactions. It’s not easy to keep the ruling families in line and to ensure that only the best people rise to positions of power. And because all diplomacy is personal, kingdoms can move from peace to war after one bad conversation.
The game offers a unique mix of concepts and intertwines strategy and role-playing in innovative ways. Each campaign is a narrative, driven by the player's choices and by the characters involved.
Old World continues to be a great-looking game, with clear information offered at all times and plenty of style. The DLC does not introduce any significant changes. I wish that the event choices have clearer details about all the involved characters, but otherwise, the title does a solid job of offering the needed details. The sound design is also good, with some great soundtrack tunes.
Conclusion
Gamers who have not tried the title should take this occasion to pick up the base game and explore its quirks and ability to create strategy-powered stories. My one wish is for future DLC to enhance the internal politics and character interaction side of Old World.
A review key was provided by the publisher.
