Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders

"KUF: Great offline even better LIVE!"

Overall 8/10
Firstly, this game is not like other games I play. In fact I have never touched a Final Fantasy game, those closest I ever came to KUF was the Zelda for Nes that came in the gold case. This is also the first review I have ever written, but I was surprised by how addicting this game is. When playing online you just keep thinking "If I can just get x amount of EXP then I can level up and be so much better". So you keep playing and upgrading. The fact that you don't lose your hard work when you log out of live is what I really really like. Getting your name on the leaderboard lets people know your good, taking out a guys whole army with 1 level 70 mortar unit is PRICELESS. The offline game is fun and I found myself replaying levels more efficiently trying different tactics and strategy. Unless you are Sun Tzu chances are you won't beat a mission the first time around, and setting up different troops to beat the same enemy lets you be creative and greatly increases the replay value.

Graphics 9/10

What is really impressive is the number NPCs running around fighting at any given time. If you look away from your fight you see other units engaging enemies across the battlefield. The fact that there in very little if any slowdown is amazing with explosions, fire, and 50ft tall swamp mammoths all at the same time. It looks great in HD with the component cables very colorful and crisp for such a large scale.

Sound 7/10

I am lumping in the voice acting with the actual sound of the game . The actual audio is great in Dolby 5.1 the arrows sound like they are going over your head and it is easy to pinpoint the enemy officer should he use his magic in your vicinity. However, in my opinion the game loses points in the dialog department. The grammar is horrible and the words are just stupid. You expect vampires or dark elves to be a little bit more sinister than a high schooler calling someone an asswipe. The story is loosely held together by text being read in between fights, luckily most of it is useless and can be skipped. While sometimes a funny one liner was said most of it was annoying and seemed rushed like the designers needed to fill space fast.

Control 8/10

It takes a while to master the controls, but they are fairly easy and fluid from one unit type to the next. One thing that could have been a pain would have been different controller layouts for different units, but nothing changes much whether you are controlling a scorpion or archers. Sometimes running the wrong way or getting hung up on a rock can slow you down but it is fairly rare.

Lifespan 10/10

If you are a perfectionist or just enjoy problem solving this game offers a lot of variety so even playing the offline game over and over in different ways is fun. Online is where the fun is though. By saving your progress and giving you rewards for playing long hours it really does offer incentives for and entice the committed player. The next time your friend tells you what his ELO is on Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow, you can think of the fact that your 15+ hours of gameplay netted you a level 70 army that demolished that smack talking teenager from Boise who beat you the night before.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/29/04