The Wargamer

Introduction

I’ve been a fan of the medieval strategy genre ever since I experienced Lords of the Realm. Since then I’ve been treated to a number of truly great titles, such as Stronghold, that have managed to captivate me and keep me playing into the wee hours of the night. The medieval period offers the perfect blend of romance and barbarity, and no game has yet to capture the essence of the era like Medieval: Total War. Although this review is about Knights of Honor, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention these forebearers, as Black Sea Studio’s title obviously takes a good deal of inspiration from them.

In fact, the game skirts so close at times, it runs the risk of being redundant. Thankfully, a few welcome additions to the genre make Knights of Honor its own experience and worth recommending.

Presentation and Plot

Knights of Honor has three primary campaigns, each taking place at different stages of the medieval era (appropriately titled early, middle, and late). Each era presents its own challenges, since the early era’s map is peppered with independent provinces while the later eras contain more unified and powerful “nations”.

After choosing an era, the next choice is that of a province. The true history buff can simply select one from a long list of names, while those less versed in obscure medieval states can choose from a map of the medieval world. There are literally dozens of choices, and each one presents a unique challenge politically, militarily, and geographically. These are not fictional kingdoms either, all provinces are historically accurate (to the best of my limited knowledge), and the choice of province affects which unique units the player has access to.

After the initial setup, it is up to the player to shape his country’s destiny. There is nothing linear about the game, save the limits of one’s coffers. Pardon the pun, but this can be a double edged sword for those looking for a more structured game. Knights of Honor is as ambitious in scope as the Total War series, so those players who enjoy the open-ended campaigns of that series will feel right at home.

INSTALLATION, TECHNICAL ISSUES, DOCUMENTATION

I experienced one crash with the game that thankfully did not recur. Other than that I found the game to be quite stable.

My review copy had the documentation on the CD, so I’m not sure how substantial the printed manual is. The manual on the desk was excellent, however. Every feature I needed explained was covered in a clear, concise manner. The manual also contains a clear description of all the various buildings and unit types found in the game.

Accompanying this is one of the best tutorials I’ve encountered: fully narrated and perfect for giving a full picture of the game. In addition, there is an in-game encyclopedia that can be accessed at any time.