Legend of Eisenwald (PC) Review

Set in a medieval time where magic is a reality and heroes are no more than people with convictions, Legend of Eisenwald creates an engaging world situated in what now would be called Germany. The story changes based on the character you pick and takes place in different segments, each with its own challenges. For a lover of strategy games, this turn-based RPG will let you min-max and outthink your opponent at every step.

The meat of it

You start the game off like any RPG: you create your character and pick your class. Though in Legend of Eisenwald, the three classes are also categorised by difficulty. The Knight is the ‘’easy’’ and steady class; you take the punches, but you can deal them too. As the Baroness, you have a crossbow; you will be able to pick off enemies from quite the distance, but you’ll die just as soon a threat comes close to you. For the ones that love a challenge, there’s the Mystic. He can do damage, although not early on, and he can be a valuable asset by making your allies stronger with spells.

So right from the beginning you are met with a strategic decision: how do you want to play your game?
If you are used to the typical turn-based combat system, you will find Legend of Eisenwald challenging your knowledge of how it is meant to be played.

There is the usual grid you can move your units in, but in this game you can only attack. There is no turtling or stalling, you either attack or you stay right where you are. Your ranged units can’t even move to attack, they are stuck to their first position. Thus, a lot of strategy takes place before the fights. Where do you want your archers to start? Do you want to melee to protect your ranged? Those are among the many decisions you will have to make.

In Legends of Eisenwald, you can collect a lot of gear and itemize your units to fit your style. Along the way, as your units gain more experience, they can be upgraded into better units; the peasant you had at the beginning of the campaign can be a knight at the end.

Itty bitty gritty

As I mentioned in the beginning, the story takes place in medieval Germany with typical low fantasy elements (think Harry Potter). The magical elements of the game are expressed through the magicians and mythological creatures, but don’t expect any high-fantasy, it is a subdued fantasy without the whimsical feeling, this game has more of an urban feel to it.

The story starts off as any regular fantasy story would. The main character lives a regular life, then slowly, more intrigue gets thrown in the mix and before you know it, you are on the run from some big evil thing and trying to figure out a way to defeat it. Since this game has a less emphasis on magic, the intrigue is based on typical power struggles and political intrigue.

Final Thoughts

It is an okay story, the graphics are okay and the sound is okay as well. I don’t think anyone should play it for the RPG aspect or for the atmosphere. You will most likely get an okay experience from that. The game shines with how they tackled the combat. If you enjoy turn-base games and you are bored from playing the same game for the umpteenth time, consider Legends of Eisenwald for a new experience.

PS: this is one of those games that fill a niche, which I am not part of. As someone that does not have a particular passion for this this style of combat mechanics, I would rate it a 5,5. Anyone that can appreciate the combat would most likely score it a 7 or higher.