Battle Realms

Reviews / previews

Preview: Battle Realms

Samurai and ninja face off in Battle Realms, a real-time strategy game set in a fantasy world where swords and sorcery meet. Battle Realms promises a rich storyline of honor and bravery in a living 3D world teeming with wildlife, including vicious wolves and wild horses. As the leader of your clan, you will train peasants to become mighty Archers and Spearmen or cross-train in multiple classes to create deadly Dragon Warriors. You will also recruit Zen Masters, like Arah the blind archer or Zymeth the master of lightning, who will enhance your armies and become more powerful as the game progresses. The struggle begins when Battle Realms marches into stores in spring 2001.-- Brian Wright / GamePro

Preview: Battle Realms

This ambitious game hopes to create a living world that breaks the usual RTS pattern of building dozens of units then throwing them at your enemy. Leading either the honorable Dragon clan or evil Serpent clan, youll have to transform peasants into soldiers (at dojos, temples, and elsewhere). The birth rate of your peasants is limited, so you must protect and develop your people wisely. Every choice will have good and bad effects: For example, sending an archer to the fireworks factory will give him flaming arrows to burn buildings, but which are weak against troops. Every action will also affect your Yin and Yang (killing peasants is bad for the Dragon clan but good for the Serpent clan), which can make your clans seven unique Zen Masters more or less powerful. All units can be mounted on horses, and all will possess secondary skills, such as healing, as well as melee attacks, such as kicking.-- 0 / GamePro