Developer: Fair Weather Studios
Publisher: Fair Weather Studios
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows – Review
Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows is the new game from Fair Weather Studios. The game is a standalone expansion of the successful Ancient Frontier game. In this turn-based role playing game you will have full control of the outlaws and you will have to find and fight your way through the Frontier. So let’s make our way through and find out if it’s worth to fight or if you should surrender before you have even started.
Story
The story of the game focuses on the Pirate faction in the game. They have to find their way through the frontier while attacking and raiding convoys and mining stations for resources to survive. The story involves over twenty missions and even more side-missions.
The given story is brought to us in a very clear way, making it easy to understand, but if you have never played Ancient Frontier before it can be kinda hard to get into and understand everything that is happening or has happened. This being said, we can definitely say that the story in Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows is a good one!
Graphics
The game uses 3D graphics. However, the graphics in-game aren’t that good. Since we’re living in 2019 already, you would have expected it to be more detailed and have a more finished look. Yes, you can zoom in on the battlefield where you can see certain details of your ships which are in your fleet, but if you zoom out in order to have a better overview of the playground, it is all gone. This also goes for the playground itself. The map itself feels as if they took as standard galaxy map and added a few smaller assets to it. The simplicity of the graphics did not wow us at all and they really missed an opportunity with this one since it could have been a big improvement for the game if they just had paid a little more attention to it.
That being said, the menu, upgrade options etc. are well done. Still a bit basic but they provide a good vibe for the game. You’ll have a proper overview of things, without too many whistles and bells, which might be a plus for many players.
Sound
The sound effects that are used in Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows seem to be of a higher level than the graphics. From the sinister background music to the sound that you get when you move ships from your fleets or attack with them, it is all there and very detailed. You will most likely not hear a sound that is used for one particular action, be used twice.
So as far as the sound goes, it is safe to say that where the graphics gave you the feeling that the game is shattered into pieces, the sound is the thing that makes up for that and glues it back together.
Gameplay
Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows is an RPG which takes place in the universe of Steel Shadows. During the game you will be playing as Rogan Harker, a freed convict, who will have to fight his way through the frontier to achieve treasure and glory.
As mentioned before, during the game you will have to gather certain resources which can be used to buy new ships from the black market to improve your fleet and get stronger.
While playing the game you will have full control of your fleet and the different kind of weapons that they posses. The resources that you have collected can also be used to upgrade your current ships. But while doing so you will have to keep in mind to keep your fleet balanced and continue covering the weak spots, because the AI knows how to find them pretty fast and they are not too scared to strike.
During the game you and the AI will have the opportunity to move your ships in a good position to strike the enemy. You have to survive the longest. This all is turn-based and round-based. Each round will end when you have destroyed every ship of the enemy and completed all the goals you had that round. These extra goals can be various tasks, for example: gather a certain amount of a given resource.
This turn-based RPG is fun to play and since you are constantly switching between your turn and the AI’s turn, you have to be very careful and think about what your next move is going to be, since you don’t want to give up your ships for free.
Conclusion
In conclusion we can say that Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows is a fun game to play. Fair Weather Studios made a good working game accompanied by a nice story. The developers really made the idea of the game clear through the story. However, if we look at the graphics they really missed the spot, it gives the game an unfinished and simplistic feeling. Yet when you think the graphics ruined the game, of course the sound effects are here to save the day and make the game feel like a little success after all.
Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows - Review,
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