Elven Legacy is a pretty old game now, released in 2009 by 1C and published by Paradox Interactive. It is an unashamedly old retro style game that tries to emulate the older gamer's nostalgia for the turn based hex games like Fantasy General and Panzer General. In the same year (2009), 1C also released three expansion packs for the game. So, there is quite a lot of content for aficionado of the old style of gaming from the early days of game history (think around the mid 1990s!).
... and I'm definitely a sucker for this sort of game!
The Setup
Okay, let's not beat about the bush too much... the storyline is a bit generic. There are 5 fantasy races on in the world of Elven Legacy, and the player takes the helm of the Elven faction in the single player story campaign. As usual for this sort of setting, there has been a period of peace in the story setting, which is about to be disturbed as the orcs are preparing for war. Who knows why... actually, it doesn't really matter too much. Just that the Elves are "concerned" and will happily trample all over the humans in order to get to the truth of the matter... and wonder why the humans seem to find that a little bit warlike!
So, the usual Elven arrogance and Orc mischief are the starting points for the game's story!
The Game
The game is set on the old style of Hex-wargaming tiles, with the two sides taking turns to move the entirety of their unit roster. On the strategic screen, there is a selection between a choice of missions which will determine the map and the opponents that you face... and alter the storyline as well.
Each mission starts with the player placement round (the enemy locations are pre-set). There is quite a bit of a strange hazy-dreamlike filter to the whole game... you know the sort that people use to produce really weird dreamy glamour shots? I think you grease the lens? It is a weird visual design choice, but you do get used to it!
Just like the original game, each mission is a balance between exploring for on-map loot, wiping out enemy units for XP and just keeping your units alive in order for them to get stronger! The much hated feature of timed finishes for the mission makes its unwelcome return as well.
Each mission has a main quest that needs to be completed in order to progress and complete the level. However, there are bonuses for finishing the level within a certain turn limit.... and those bonuses are REALLY hefty. The downside is that finishing on the Gold setting means that you are basically speed-running the level... which really feels like it makes a mockery of the slow and technical tactics that the game is built upon. Of course, going slower makes it more like a real tactics game... but then you miss out on that really important loot!
Plus, when you hit a mission for the first time... you are completely unaware of how the enemy is laid out, and how story triggers will alter the tactical landscape in quite unwelcome ways. So, if you are gunning for the gold finish, you will likely find that your units are exposed and will get slaughtered by an unforeseen and unknowable story trigger! This usually results in a reload and restart... as lost units will mean that your campaign is next to impossible to complete with weaker newly recruited units!
So, about the units in your roster. You need to keep them all alive as much as possible. Sacrifice is not really part of the game DNA, as the lost units are way more powerful than the green units that you would purchase to replace them. As they level, they gain access to powerful new skills as well as significant boosts to their base abilities, and these are necessary for facing off against the stronger enemies as you progress through the campaign.
There is a limited selection of items that units and heroes can equip, and the combat system from the original carries over into this spiritual successor. Units have a number of individuals that can die or be wounded, the wounded can be recovered by sacrificing a precious turn to heal, but the dead are gone for the rest of the mission. Meanwhile, the hero units (and the larger regular units like dragons) are only able to be wounded, and they recover to full health after a rest.
So, again you see here the absolutely critical balance of sacrificing units or turns to heal.... those turns are really expensive if you are chasing the higher tier rewards, but units are irreplaceable if you want them to keep up with the levelling demands of the game!
Skill-wise, there are generally a handful of selections for each unit/hero at the level up screen. Given the bonuses that each skill gives, you will end up specialising quite heavily... which means that when countering enemy forces, it really gives a huge advantage if you have the right unit in the right place for the job.... but that is pretty damn hard to organise if you are being constantly being pushed in the back by the turn timer!
In between missions, there is a rudimentary army management screen where you can purchase replacement units, reallocate inventory (you can't do that in the tactical map) and level units. It is pretty bare-bones, but it works. Mostly, it is a launchpad for preparing for the next battle.
Oddly enough, there is are additional historical missions alongside the regular campaign missions. In these set-piece battles, you are whisked away from the current narrative to past legendary battles... where you are seeded with a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ARMY and made to complete the historical objective of the mission. These are somewhat optional, but they do add some story flavour to what you are doing in the main campaign... however, more critically, they unlock units/items for use in the main campaign... so, NOT really optional!
Visuals, Sound and Performance
This wasn't a particularly demanding game on modern hardware... keep in mind that it was released roughly 11 years ago! So, anything with a dedicated graphics card (and most likely most integrated cards) will be able to hand this game. Visually, the graphics are now pretty dated... especially in the cut-scenes, but it still a pleasant game to look at.... even with that weird glamour-style filter in the tactical map!
My Thoughts
This should be a game that really appealed to my sense of tactical TBS gaming with a nice dose of nostalgia... so, why have I installed and uninstalled this game so many times over the last decade without managing to complete the game?
... well, the problem isn't too much to do with the turn based and tactical mechanics, or even the lacklustre story... it is the way that each mission gives the impression that there is a "right" way to complete the mission. They play out more like a puzzle where you don't know the tightrope line to the end... whilst being pushed in the back by a turn timer! It's not fun... I like taking my time to steadily advance in a tactical game, I don't like the idea that I need to rush towards an predefined end whilst being hammered by unknown pop-up forces that are triggered by story events.
I will give it another go though... I really want to like this game! Plus, Fantasy General 2 is just too expensive at the moment!
Review Specs
DELL XPS15 (9560)
CPU: i7-7700HQ
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: SSD
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050
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