Medieval Conquest (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Jason Ocampo
• Reviewed on: 10/18/2004
• Released on: 09/06/2004
• Originally published on GameSpot: Medieval Conquest (PC) Review

It's no exaggeration to say that the real-time strategy genre and, in particular, the fantasy-themed real-time strategy genre are both full of clichés. For example, in most real-time strategy games, you have to defeat an ultimate evil from taking over the world by battling hordes of nightmarish monsters while overcoming desperate odds. To its credit, Medieval Conquest is not one of these games, and instead delivers a refreshing blend of economic strategy and amusing gags at the fantasy genre's expense.

The first thing to note about Medieval Conquest is that it's not a traditional real-time strategy game. Rather than gathering lots of resources and churning out huge armies, you instead must build and manage a fantasy economy that will support the heroic adventurers who are battling evil. In other words, Medieval Conquest is a bit like a tycoon strategy game--but with fantasy elements. In fact, it's very much like Cyberlore Studios' cult favorite, Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, though developer Cat Daddy Games takes the innovative concept of that game and expands on it further.

In Medieval Conquest, you're hired by the king of a besieged fantasy kingdom to clear out all the monsters and evil creatures that are roaming his land. To do so, you must hire three different classes of adventurers--fighters, rangers, and mages--and then group them into adventuring bands. These adventurers operate autonomously, so all you need to do is direct them where to hunt, and they'll automatically go off to slay any monsters they encounter. In the meantime, you must provide the buildings and services that these adventurers require. You receive a bounty from the king for each monster your adventurers kill, and you reinvest the money earned by building armories where your adventurers can buy better weapons and equipment, establishing inns and taverns where they can rest and eat, providing carnivals and other amusements to keep them happy, constructing training centers where they can learn new skills, and assembling other such buildings. Failure to provide these goods and services will discourage your adventurers, so they may desert you for the next monster-infested kingdom.

There's a strong role-playing element in the game, even though you don't actually control any of your characters directly. You'll find yourself nurturing your adventurers along as they rise in rank, so there's a certain amount of satisfaction in seeing your adventurers pack the latest gear that you've stocked in your shops.

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