Developer: Blowfish Studios
Publisher: Blowfish Studios
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
Tested on: Switch
Siegecraft Commander – Review
The Switch is currently ‘the’ platform to release new games on, with the word ‘new’ being quite relative. Many developers currently wish to port their games to Nintendo’s newest console and they are doing so at a rapid pace. The Switch is not being seen as a children’s platform as were some of Nintendo’s previous consoles, but actually many big titles seem to be having a release date on the Switch, which makes it a hot platform to release as many games as possible on. This time we get to take a look at Siegecraft Commander which came out back in 2017 on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with now the Switch in tow with it just being released there. The ballistic strategy game did not win any awards in the past, but it might just spice up the genre for the Switch to a certain extent.
Story
There are two campaigns to be found, and they both have certain story elements in place, but you’ll have to guess at what the actual story is. In the first campaign you crash in a strange land, and from there on out you simply start fighting. The second campaign is more of the same, but then you’ll play with a tribe of lizard people. The basics are there to make the game a bit more appealing, but the actual execution of how the story takes place is very lacking, dull and just doesn’t motivate you to keep playing, which probably has to do with the very unlikeable characters that are shown throughout the cutscenes.
Graphics
Siegecraft Commander is a game that will not wow you with its graphical prowess. The game has a cute and comical appearance but it doesn’t really feel next gen at all. The buildings look fairly fun, but there’s a lack of diversity, and the same can be said about the enemies’ structures and units. Overall the game has the right appearance and the lack of structures can be linked to the actual gameplay, as too many options would have made this game impossible in terms of difficulty. The environments are also simply done, but they do the job and they look good enough to make an overall likeable whole, even if some things may look a bit dated.
Sound
The sound department in Siegecraft Commander must have been shoved to the backseat when developing this title. The voice acting is simply horrendous and should have either been done by proper voice actors, or not at all. The music is okay-ish but the game abruptly stops songs to either start it again, or to start a new track. The transitions between songs are simply horrible to say the least and it just feels as if the sound design wasn’t important or simply ignored until the last phase of development.
Gameplay
Siegecraft Commander is a strategy title that tries to diverge itself from the genre by using original building mechanics. The game uses a slingshot system when it comes to building structures. You’ll have your keep and from there on out you can start building outposts, which have to be ‘thrown’ from your keep in order to build it. The buildings will be linked and from the next outpost, you can start throwing other buildings again. When a building in the chain is destroyed, all those that were built from said structure will crumble and die with it. You’ll have different structures you can build, but it mainly all depends on the outposts, which hold the key to building defensive and offensive structures.
The mechanics are fairly simply to use, as you can toss buildings within a certain range, you can also use buildings to attack etc. You can’t however cross paths with other buildings, as the building that you toss through the air will leave behind a wall that links it to the original building it originated from. This will require some planning and oversight when you only possess a small patch of land to build on. Nonetheless, the game makes it easy enough for you to build and expand your base of operations. Luckily there’s no expansive library of structures to choose from, because otherwise it would be hard to fully grasp the game and be able to react in the heat of battle. Outposts can throw TNT barrels, other structures can attack units, while others are needed to attack flying units and projectiles. Overall things remain simple, but the fact that the game is not turn based means you’ll have to have proper reflexes and keep your eye on the fights at hand.
Even with the likeable and simple mechanics in place, the game does not shy away from making it very difficult for the player. Even in early missions there are difficulty spikes that make the game really hard for you to press on. While trial and error are certainly in place, it would have been better if there was a gradual difficulty increase, rather than being destroyed on the battlefield in your third mission, simply because of a drastic increase in the way the AI plays.
Conclusion
Siegecraft Commander certainly has its charms and it’s a solid strategy experience, but the graphics and sound design leave us wanting more. While the game is very original in its mechanics, it’s also sometimes tedious to make progress in the game, and the difficulty spikes do make the game a bit less appealing. Of course there are the online modes, but a game such as this thrives with a proper campaign mode, and that’s present to a certain extent. Even though this game isn’t the best strategy title we’ve seen, it’s a fun addition to the library of Switch games and it’s actually worth giving a shot if you can overlook sudden increases in difficulty, poor sound design and graphics that leave to be desired.
Siegecraft Commander - Review,
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