Game Review – Eador: Masters of the Broken World

Eador: Masters of the Broken World is chiefly a turn based strategy game from the Moscow based Snowbird Games Studio. Taking place in a fantasy realm with lords, wizards, and monsters making up cast of Eador. The game does not rely heavily on rpg elements, using characterization simply as flavor and leveling as simple power-up enhancement to “hero” classes. Eador is however not without a good portion of flavor texts that flesh out the world for players that choose to consume them. I pleasurably gleaned information about Eador’s setting from the well established art direction, the world map in particular.

Within three environments, Eador’s game play unfolds. The first being the game world, It contains cities, towns or other points of interest. This is all coated in a fog of war to be explored and revealed after the player conquers or barters control of these nodes. This I feel is the most well formed element of the game. It’s is the most visually appealing and filled with an addictive board game like play style. (…just one more turn, please!) As you add nodes to your control you will gain income, that you will be spend on upgrades, negotiations (bribes), and your fighting forces.

The second mode is a very pared down city builder or more fairly stated, a visuations of your your tech tree and upgrades. I feel when you view your castle that it lacks enough fidelity to provide you with information about your build and sends the player looking to menus for the useful information. This would be a nice place to show of some animations of your castle work, if only to add a sense place.

The last mode is turn based tactical combat not unlike that of the King’s Bounty games. You control a hero character and his army of standard ranged and melee troops all acquired in your home base. Unfortunately I found this the least enjoyable and found myself quickly auto resolving combat with a menu option. I lost interest in the slow plodding nature of the fighting and wanting to see what new event might be revealed on the world map.

Eador’s worlds have been nicely sewn together by it’s developers. I feel that fans of the strategic elements of the Total War series and the turn bases expansion of the Civilization games will get a kick out of this fantasy game. It offers a lot of game play and could easily draw someone into it’s world for many an evening.

• Posted May 21st, 2013 in Review by Charles Moss
• No Comments