Masters of Albion

Masters of Albion is a "god game" type strategy, meaning that players can act as "gods". The development of this game was handled by the 22cans studio, founded by Peter Molyneux, recognized as the "father" of such series as Fable, Black & White and Dungeon Keeper.

Plot

Masters of Albion takes us to a fantasy universe. The titular land is struggling with problems caused by magic returning to it. They are represented both as a chance for development and a deadly danger for the world's inhabitants. During the game we are endowed with divine powers, and our task is to deal with the threat before things get completely out of control.

Gameplay

Masters of Albion gives us a vast, open world at our disposal. The gameplay here is based on two pillars. During the day, the beautiful land delights with its peace, and we can freely develop our settlement by erecting new buildings, creating production chains and manufacturing various goods. We also need to take care of the needs of the residents, which vary depending on the faction they represent. While the common people mainly demand food, the lords have more refined whims (like clothes), on the other hand, kings may demand weapons and armor. As we progress, we accumulate money and resources that we can allocate for further expansion.

It doesn't end there, as the game allows us to delve much deeper into the individual processes. For example, we can independently take care of weapon production or preparing meals for residents, modify the appearance of buildings (freely adding additional modules to them and expanding them vertically and horizontally) or move subjects from one point on the map to another (and assign them to specific jobs). We can let our imagination run wild and create battle loaves of bread, prepare sandwiches with rats, or build high towers.

The second pillar of the gameplay makes itself known after dusk. At night, aggressive creatures like zombies, werewolves, and trolls come out into the world, and we must defend our subjects from them. To achieve this, it is necessary to close the city gates, build reinforcements and defensive structures like towers, or hire fearless heroes. We can customize each of these latter ones to individual preferences, designing their weapons and armor. Additionally, as the heroes progress, they grow in strength, allowing them to face increasingly greater challenges.

Interestingly, nothing prevents you from taking direct control over the characters. We can switch to a third-person perspective (TPP) and face the threats on our own. When everything else fails, we have no choice but to use our divine powers, attacking enemies with lightning, fire, or water.

If we do everything right, over time the immediate surroundings of our settlement will no longer be enough for us. We can then set off in search of more villages and cities to add to our portfolio, as well as send heroes on expeditions to acquire treasures for us and bring us glory by accomplishing quests.