David Kidd pours some boiling gong on his enemies in Firefly's latest castle-building romp.
Conceptually, the Stronghold series has everything going for it. Firefly’s original game was a fresh take on two overdone game genres – RTS and city building – but centred on the astoundingly underutilised game concept of castle building. Firefly didn’t hold back in fl exibility either, bundling in campaigns based on either sieges or the economics of castle building. Additionally, the sandbox modes combined with the expansion, called Crusader, means no one could possibly say that Firefly wasn’t delivering on its promise of the ultimate castle simulation.
So, it’s with great expectation that we look at its sequel. The first thing to go is the 2D interface, which aside from looking pretty, offers some much needed features for any castlebuilder. You can now zoom and pan around your castle easily, and a single press of the spacebar snaps you into a top-down mode to better lay down your walls.
Unfortunately, while the 3D flexibility was clearly given much attention, the same can’t be said for other areas of the interface. Combat control is clunky, and if you’re expecting contemporary RTS controls, like double-clicking to select all unit types, or mouse gestures for formations, you’ll be disappointed. Other interface standards, like tooltips and help, are strangely absent, which means far too much time is spent flicking through manuals and help screens – unforgivable for such a complex game.
Once you’re comfortable with the interface, the game shows its true colours. Due to the poor AI (which unfortunately seems to be even more diabolical in the sequel), we were always more fond of the economic and building mode, rather than combat, and Firefl y has kicked it up a notch. The game map is now broken up into estates which, once ‘bought’ with honour, can funnel needed goods back to your castle. The classic economic model has been expanded to include more resources, and you’ll need to be on top of every single resource to ensure your city runs smoothly.
Finally, the castle-building aspect itself has been greatly improved. The 3D engine has delivered some stunning fl exibility in how you build your castle, with even more defensive structures. Your castle walls fl ow around the 3D terrain to produce a more organic feel to your stronghold, and you can further take advantage of mountains, chasms and other natural defenses.
Ultimately, the charm of the original is left intact, and while there are some unfortunate interface and AI shortcomings, this is a great addition to the family. While it isn’t as ground breaking as the original, we credit Firefly for not messing with the formula, and even expanding on its strategic elements.
The main seller is the 3D wrapping, but it’s just that. Look past it and appreciate the interwoven economy and high strategy, and you won’t be disappointed.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012