Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim

"I dub thee, the most under-rated game of all time."

INTRODUCTION: I was at Wal-Mart one day, just looking around. I made my way into the electronics section, and began to browse through the computer games. I had 20 bucks in my pocket, and wanted to spend it on something good. A nice game in a purple box caught my eye. Majesty. So, I looked at the back of the box, read all of the things on it, and decided to buy it. I'm sure glad I did now! When I got in the car, I began to read the instruction manual, and thought to myself: ''Hey, this game looks awesome!'' When I got home and installed it on my computer, I was right. Majesty combines superb, addictive gameplay with great graphics and replay value to give you a game that you will stay home from school or work to play! The first thing I noticed about Majesty, was that it is somewhat fast-paced compared to other simulation games, and is very creative. If you are looking for a game to add to your PC library, Majesty is sure not to disappoint!

GRAPHICS: 9/10 To begin with, the graphics in this game are 2D, but don't worry, they're awesome! They are very clear and smooth, and by no means choppy. If you have ever played Roller Coaster Tycoon, then you can compare the graphics to that. The animations are excellent. When the flag on your palace waves in the wind, it looks real. Even the shadow on the ground corresponds to the movement of the flag. The colors blend together nicely to simulate differences in land textures. You will also notice the detail that was put into these graphics. You can see every individual brick that makes up your palace, indentations on the barrels, the rickety planks that make up the gnome hovels, the list goes on and on. Overall, the graphics in Majesty are a great part of the game. No complaints here.

SOUND: 10/10 Whether it's the sound of a bow string snapping, or the sound of a building being destroyed, you will agree that the sound quality is absolutely superb in this game. The music is very good. It is all very fitting for the game, and has a middle ages feel to it, which definitely adds to the overall experience of Majesty. The sound effects are just as good too. What impressed me was the number of different sound effects in this game. For example, a ranger shooting his bow, sounds different then a goblin shooting his bow, which sounds different than an elf shooting his bow. They don't just use the same sound effects over and over, which is definitely a good thing. The sounds tend to be pretty realistic as well. A building on fire sounds like a building on fire. At least what I think a building on fire would sound like. Overall, Majesty's sound will bring you back in time to the middle ages in a medieval experience!

GAMEPLAY: 10/10 If there was on word to describe the gameplay of Majesty, it would probably be addictive. Once you get the feel of the game, you won't want to stop playing. There are several quests (scenarios) in Majesty. They are for the most part, very well thought out. They include things like, find the magic ring, or rid the wizard's curse. You will have a lot of fun playing the scenarios. They are rated in difficulty from: beginner, advanced, and expert. So you can increase your playing skill over time. If the pre-made quests aren't enough for you, you can always play the freestyle quest mode. In this mode, you can customize your own quest with your rules, or have the computer generate random ones for you. In Majesty, you will construct buildings, recruit heroes, collect taxes, kill monsters, find legendary items, the list goes on. You start out with a palace, and maybe a few more things. You also start out with a set amount of starting gold which you spend on buildings, recruiting heroes etc. Your palace is pretty much the main control center for your kingdom. If it ever gets destroyed, you will lose the quest. You will have to build guilds, which hire heroes. Some guilds are: warrior's guild, ranger's guild, rogue's guild, and wizard's guild. As you develop your kingdom, you can then build temples. These recruit more heroes, but certain temples can't be built together. For example, if you build a temple to Krypta, you can't build a temple to Dauros. The reason for this is because those religions have had unfriendly relations in the past. So you will have to chose your temples well. You will also need to build marketplaces, which are the main source of gold for your kingdom. Other buildings include blacksmiths, inns, trading posts, libraries, royal gardens, etc. You will have to use your money wisely to recruit heroes and construct buildings if you want to be successful. Another huge plus to Majesty's gameplay is the fact that it can be played online using GameSpy Arcade. This adds tremendously to the replay value of the game, and is just plain fun. Overall, the gameplay in this game is so good that I wouldn't play it before going to work or school, because I guarantee that you will want to call in sick to play it all day.

HITS AND MISSES
+ Very addictive
+ Excellent sound
+ Great graphics
+ Can be played online
+ Very original title
+ Worth the price ten times over
+ Low system requirements

- Scenarios are a little short

OVERALL: 10/10 I give Majesty for the PC a 10 out of 10 because it combines the most important aspects of a great game to give you a truly great gaming experience. It is also very addictive, detailed, and just plain fun. If you are looking for a truly superior game to add to your library, Majesty is that game. I strongly recommend that you pick this one up the next chance you get.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/13/03, Updated 04/13/03