"Not as good as it should have been"

Mage Knight Destiny's Soldier is based on the table top Collectible Miniatures Game Mage Knight, which was the first of its kind. The table top game has been around for years, though it is now out of print. The game is a unique turn based strategy game, with a focus on tactical engagements.

Mage Knight DS is set right after the Solonavi, a mysterious and powerful race of energy beings, unleash a world altering spell. The spell increases the level of magic across the continent and awakens several lost relics thus beginning a new age of war. You play as one of five heroes destined to save the world.

Each hero has the same background and plotline: after serving the Elemental Freeholders, the Greenpeace of the Mage Knight universe, you have retired to a quiet life with your wife and infant child. After a series of earthquakes begin to plague your homeland you set off to try and stop them. After speaking with the elders you learn that the Solonavi are to blame and set off to stop their evil plans.

---Gameplay---
The gameplay is based on the table top game. It does a decent job of replicating the mechanics of the tabletop game, though there are some large differences. Some of the differences make the game more accessible to those unfamiliar with the complicated rule set, while others can be attributed to lazy programming and game design.

For players not familiar with the rules of the tabletop game the learning curve is steep. The game basically throws you into battle with very little instruction. The game guide gives no help in this area, nor does the short in game tutorial. There is a more in depth help option, but you have to know what you are looking for to use it properly.

The game play is unique compared to most strategy/tactical games, with three big differences. First off a figure's stats and abilities change based on the damage they take throughout a fight. Each figure has a certain number of ‘clicks' each of which has unique combat values and abilities. When a figure takes damage they move the indicated number of clicks toward death. Figures can be brought back to life, though only two unique characters have this ability, both of which come very late in the game.

The second largest difference is in army composition. Each figure is worth a set number of points, which indicate the relative strength of a unit. The theory here is the higher the number the better the figure, though this is not always the case. One of the major flaws in the game is that a lot of abilities from the tabletop game were removed from the figures without a corresponding point reduction.

Each battle has a set number of points which you can build your army from. The number is always a multiple of 100 which is important because you only get one action per turn for every hundred points. This is the third major departure from other strategy games. Each figure can move or attack (some can do both) only once per turn. When a figure takes an action, they are given a token to indicate they have already been used. The action tokens can only be removed two turns later. Figures can take an action in two consecutive turns, but this causes the figure to take a click of damage after the second action.

There are several types of missions, but the general goal is to either eliminate all opposing forces or capture a majority of the flags by the end of the turn limit. There are special missions such as killing or capturing a specific unit, and the gauntlet battles which string a number of battles together with limited healing between fights (one click of health per character). Overall though the missions have a very similar feel to them.

The campaign mode is pretty standard. You start off with a single figure in your army, but can (and must) buy some extras in your starting town. As you progress you will gain access to more towns, and therefore more figures to purchase. Gold is attained after each mission based on kills, flags, turns remaining and a set mission bonus. Early in the game you gain the ability to catch certain creatures during battles, after the battle they join your army. This makes for a nice cheap way to buff up your battle force, especially considering these are some of the best figures in the game.

There are two major forks in the game; however you may go back and forth between forks with no penalty. Completing the multiple forks is the only way to collect all the figures in one play through. The story is otherwise very linear, and you can't go back to participate in battles you have already won.

Unfortunately the campaign is the only mode in the game. Honestly the lack of a skirmish mode is just lazy programming. The lack of multiplayer is even worse. This game would have been so much better if you could link up with a friend and battle for supremacy.

While the game mechanics are interesting and fun, the lack of additional modes and multiplayer severely limit its potential.

Gameplay: 6

---Story---

The dialogue and plot won't win any Oscars, but they are pretty good. The dialogue starts out like a cheesy fantasy novel, but evolves into partially witty about a quarter of the way through. The plot itself does a nice job of wrapping a majority of the varied factions into a cohesive progression. It seems a little strange that units will happily join your team almost immediately after you defeat them in battle, but very rarely does this affect the main storyline.

Overall the story does a good job of capturing the feel of the complicated politics of the Mage Knight universe while keeping players informed of what is going on.

Story: 8

---Graphics and Sound---

If it wasn't for the touchpad compatibility this game could have been on a GBA. The graphics and the sound provide enough atmosphere to get the job done, but aren't up to DS levels. There are also a lot of graphical bugs/artifacts that show up regularly. Most strategy players don't mind some sprite based graphics, but there are some players who will be turned off immediately by the low production value. The music changes based on your location in the world and the enemy factions you are fighting, but it isn't enough to create an immersive world.

Graphics and Sound: 4

---Replayability---

The game has a sort of new game plus mode, in which you get to keep your army and gold while starting the story over. I would have preferred the option to jump to any specific battle, without having to go through the entire storyline. If you really like the game you will probably play it through a couple times.

Replayability: 6

---Overall---

Overall it is a decent game, but I would not suggest it to non strategy gamers. If it had a multiplayer or skirmish mode it would score higher, but in the end all the bugs, poor figure importation and lack of professionalism have virtually killed any chances of that. As a former tabletop mage knight player it saddens me to rate the video game so low, but I have to be objective about it.

Overall: 6

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/16/06