Strategy with unique dynamics in which character development was crucial. Warlords: Battlecry 2 successfully combined RTS with RPG
This RTS remained in the shadow of its „big” competitors but offered something unique. Its emphasis on character development and sandbox campaign brought it closer to RPGs.
The turn of the 20th to the 21st century brought many excellent RTS games. Surely many of you fondly remember such titles as Warcraft 3. However, it's worth remembering that there were also other noteworthy games at that time. One of such forgotten gems is Warlords: Battlecry 2. As a kid, I spent a lot of time there and I sincerely believe that it's worth reminiscing about.
Series with a long lineage
The beginnings of the Warlords series date back to 1990. Then the first installment with this exact title saw the light of day. It was a turn-based strategy set in a fantasy world called Etheria. This land ultimately became the setting for all the remaining games in the series. As for the plot, it was nothing groundbreaking, and everything was based on a concept where various races are engaged in a constant battle with one another.
The series gradually developed, and in the 90s, a total of three installments of the main series were released. In the meantime, the Strategic Studies Group responsible for the series decided to experiment and developed a real-time strategy game with RPG elements. In this way, a spin-off series titled Battlecry was born. It was made up of three installments, published successively in 2000, 2002, and 2004.
RTS of blood and bone
The basic premise of gameplay in Warlords: Battlecry 2 is essentially a painfully stereotypical RTS. In the game, we take control of one of the available factions, with the primary objective often being to eliminate the other opponents on the map. How to achieve this? The answer is simple - we build and improve buildings and secure as many resources as possible. In this way, we will be able to get a powerful army.
At this stage, we might think that it's an RTS like any other. Fortunately, the Strategic Studies Group responsible for the game had several ideas on how to diversify the gameplay. And it's thanks to them that I never forgot about this title.
Protagonist straight from RPG games
One of the more characteristic elements of the game was creating your own character. At the beginning of the adventure, we defined his statistics and chose his class and skills. As the game progressed, the protagonist gained experience points and leveled up. In this way, he became stronger and more effective in combat.
There was also a typical RPG game equipment system. The opponents on the map with the player also had their own characters. After they were killed, a chest with equipment appeared, which could be looted. Inside, we found items that, when equipped by our protagonist, modified his statistics.
And believe me, that was really useful. Since it was a physical character, we moved it around the map and used it for the quick elimination of opponents. All it took at the very beginning of the game was to send the hero along with a small group of units to the enemy base and destroy it before it had a chance to expand. In this way, we were able to quickly put an end to the preparations made by the competitor.
Sandbox construction campaign
The campaign in Warlords: Battlecry 2 had a rather specific structure. There is no elaborate story here. Instead of consecutive quests, we were given a map of Etheria. It was divided into 67 regions, which we had to conquer to achieve victory. Of course, for variety, each of these areas differed from one another, including in size and terrain shape.
Twelve different races were available to choose from. Among them, we can mention People, Barbarians, Undead, and Forest Creatures. Each of them had their strengths and weaknesses, unique units, and buildings. Moreover, they had a different demand for raw materials. This imposed a unique dynamic, in which, to develop efficiently, we had to maintain control over specific resources. Of course, as we might expect, back then balance wasn't yet such an important element, so some were clearly stronger than others.
The choice of race also defined the starting point on the campaign map. This introduced a new pattern for progressing through the campaign, thereby adding an element of randomness to the entire game. Of course, over time, areas were taken over that unlocked access to more races. This added variety to the gameplay.
Less pleasant continuation
As I already mentioned, the series has seen yet another installment. Warlords: Battlecry 3 was the first game developed by Infinite Interactive (with the main designer of the series at the helm), but also the last one.
However, I must admit that this title stuck in my memory to a much lesser extent. Despite the increase in the number of races, a return to a more linear campaign, and a "darker" graphic design, which has aged rather ungracefully, I find myself returning more often to Warlords: Battlecry 2.
How to play Warlords: Battlecry 2 today?
You can easily purchase Warlords: Battlecry 2 in digital distribution. Unfortunately, I have to disappoint Steam users - currently, the game is only available in the Ubisoft Store and GOG.com. The price is only $5.03.
Keep in mind, though, that this is a rather old title and it doesn't work well with current operating systems. Sometimes, you have to make an effort to get it to run on your PC.
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