Seven Kingdoms

"A great change"

Crush, kill, and destroy. This is what you do in most real-time strategy (RTS) games. Seven Kingdoms is no exception; you’re the king of an empire with the goal of wiping out other empires. Of course, it’s easier said than done; you have to gather resources, build your kingdom, make an army, fight some wars, fight again, and keep fighting until you dominate the world. Typical concept? Yes. Typical game? No.

Diplomacy is one distinctive feature of the game. Kingdoms can send messages requesting or offering something, which adds a thick layer of strategy considering the several options you’re offered. But what impresses me most about this system is that it’s easy for a new player to cope with, yet it gives an expert the space he needs to create his own tactics. For example, you can declare war on a kingdom and ask your allies to declare it with you. Then, you can request a cease-fire from the king of the kingdom you’ve just declared war on. If he agrees, you can sit back with a baby smile on your face and watch your faithful allies finish him. If he refuses, join the hunt and wipe him out. This is a dirty but effective trick when you want to keep your hands as clean as possible…

Wait, did I say dirty? Oh yes I did, but the speech about dirty isn’t complete without mentioning espionage. Spies settle in enemy structures and villages and steal information for you. But what makes them the badasses of Seven Kingdoms is their ability to spread your thoughts in enemy villages, decreasing the villagers’ loyalty. This can lead to a revolution if used at the right time, and a revolution in a highly populated city means the whole kingdom might be gone. So yes, unlike most other RTS games, war isn’t the only path leading to victory; it’s actually the rough path. Why? Read below, my friend…

Combat strategy doesn’t show its head often in the game. The only difference between kingdoms is the abilities their soldiers possess. You have the hard-but-slow hitting Vikings, the bow wielding Persians, the well-rounded Normans, and others. While this might seem a good variety, none of the kingdoms offers you a unique experience. They all fight the same; you mindlessly click on your group, and then you mindlessly click on the enemy’s group, and you repeat until the war is over, and don’t worry; it’ll be quickly over.

But the game won’t.

Seven Kingdoms has no story-linked campaigns. A training guides you to stand to your feet, until you’re able to tackle the many single scenarios you’re offered, but that’s not enough. The compensation comes in the form of a skirmish mode where the true value of the game lies; you can play this mode over and over, and differently each time. You can be a power-horse; crushing your enemies with military strength, you can be a sneaky rat; killing silently with style, you can be a cunning diplomat; planning the next move like a game of chess. Moreover, there are multiple options to customize: maps, difficulty, victory conditions, and more.

Adding to the gameplay of Seven Kingdoms is the presentation. The music fits greatly the mood as well as the kingdoms they belong to. There’s nothing special to say about the graphics and the sound effects; they’re good for their time; neither breathtaking, nor average. Just don’t expect from a 1997 release the graphics you expect from your latest Command and Conquer, there is no comparison.

But the graphics can be ignored, while the gameplay cannot. If you just look beyond the lack of combat strategy, you’ll find deep diplomacy and espionage systems. A refreshing change of pace; if you can only appreciate it.

I certainly can.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/05/03, Updated 03/05/03