Godsworn

A very solid RTS with a unique twist: you play as factions led by heroes who empower different aspects (healing, raiding, converting). Resources don't run out but are scattered and workers are made automatically but are limited, you also need to balance resources gathering and faith using said workers. Very fun, has a great deal of promise

As of Early Access version 0.3.23241409, Godsworn already scores really high on the “[b]feels kinda like [i]Warcraft 3[/i][/b]” scale, while [b]managing to build its own identity on top of that[/b] as a fantasy interpretation of the historic Baltic Crusades. It’s an overall [b]pretty great old-school RTS[/b] that’s bound to appeal to anyone who enjoys the likes of [i]Warcraft 3[/i], [i]Battle Realms[/i], [i]Dragonshard[/i], [i]Age of Mythology[/i] etc. Much like in those games, there’s [b]a welcome level of storytelling[/b] here (with surprisingly decent voice acting throughout) as well as a [b]fabulous art style[/b] that’s just stylised enough to give the game a lot of character while also providing enough detail to allow you to differentiate unit types easily in the heat of battle. The main campaign, which currently features 10 missions (of a planned 15, I believe), sees you jumping between different factions to tell [b]an intriguing fantasy adventure story[/b] with all the drama and betrayal you’d expect. Gameplay-wise, Godsworn is an [b]old-school real-time strategy game with a focus on hero units[/b] that can level up and gain new abilities, leading a plethora or armed tribesmen, mounted knights and mythical creatures into battle. Your hero unit can also do [b]side quests[/b] during missions to gain resources or mission-limited buffs, though there’s no inventory system with items that’re carried through the campaign like in [i]Warcraft 3[/i] or [i]Spellforce 3[/i]. Speaking of [i]Spellforce 3[/i], I think it’s worth mentioning that Godsworn is a [b]mission-based RTS first and an RPG a more distant second[/b], which is probably why [b]these genres mesh so well here[/b], instead of feeling like two distinct and separate halves, which is what I’ve always felt about [i]Spellforce 3[/i]. Another thing that struck me about Godsworn is how much [b]I enjoyed its maps[/b]. That’s probably because I recently re-played [i]Starcraft 2[/i] again, and as good as that game is mechanically, it’s absolutely painful how much [i]Starcraft 2[/i]’s maps (even in the single-player campaign) are built to be as symmetrical as possible, likely influenced by that game’s multiplayer-first design philosophy. Godsworn doesn’t entirely ditch this idea for its multiplayer maps, but its campaign maps are typically designed with [b]asymmetrical layouts or set pieces[/b] to spice things up, such as a big river that cuts the map into uneven parts. My favourite multiplayer/skirmish map is “Apuole”, which features a big asymmetrically placed AI-controlled base that regularly sends raiders out to harass random players. That is, unless you pay them a large sum of gold, at which point they become your AI ally. It’s these neat little ideas which [b]maybe don’t make for perfectly balanced, symmetrical e-sports-friendly skirmish/multiplayer matches[/b]; but if you’re the kind of RTS player who just wants to have fun with the game, you’ll probably enjoy these interestingly designed maps as much as I did. Speaking of AI allies, Godsworn’s single-player campaign is designed with [b]co-op in mind, though you can absolutely play through the campaign solo[/b]. In that case, you’ll have an AI-controlled ally by your side, who’s usually helpful, but may cause some disruption by building resource gathering structures on your resource spots, or (on the flipside) drawing the enemy's attention so well that the mission becomes a cakewalk for you. If you find the campaign too easy, you can always increase the difficulty, of course. Overall, Godsworn is a [b]great old-school RTS game that’s way beyond what I would’ve expected from a core development team of only two people[/b]. Its gameplay mechanics, art assets, general level of polish and overall production values are all incredibly good for an Early Access game made by such a small team. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best attempt at capturing the magic of [i]Warcraft 3[/i] since the sadly-abandoned [i]A Year of Rain[/i]. One way or another, it’s already a great classic RTS in its own right, which I [b]strongly recommend to anyone looking for another experience similar to the classic RTS games I’ve mentioned throughout this review[/b]. If you’re unwilling to buy this game in Early Access, you should at least keep an eye on it to reach 1.0.