[h1] Swallow the World [/h1]
Shadows of the Water Gods is a hex-based, turn-based strategy game where you play as an evil deity that seeks to return to the world and basically end it. There are multiple ways to go about it, but let's start with what this game actually is. It is a POLITICAL SIMULATOR where you actually play as agents (and eventually corrupted heroes) of your god, and try to manipulate heroes, kings, leaders, etc. into doing things that somehow favor you. For example, you can make a certain hero take more risky actions to get them to kill themselves on quests, or you can try to get them to hate (or not hate) other heroes. While you're doing this, every turn the heroes are doing their own thing, including waging conflicts with each other, taking actions against you (or helping you), or just putzing around. The sheer scope can be overwhelming at first.
A good goal at first is to typically spread "shadow", and if you spread enough shadow you win the game. If a hero's home is consumed by shadow 100%, they may subsequently become enshadowed and can be corrupted. This is good for you, as it makes the heroes act in your favor, but it also raises awareness. Too much awareness, and your agents could be killed, or, worse, the entire world might try to put an end to you. You can't actually control armies outside of very special circumstances, so the only real way to fight the doomstacks of enemies is through political maneuvering, which some may not like.
As for the gods themselves, they are pretty varied. As you become stronger, you unlock more abilities, which can range from just 100% enshadowing a town for free to summoning small armies, to even changing the dynamics of the towns themselves (towns have stability and resource requirements). There are also special agents that you have one chance at, which have unique abilities, most notably being the Monarch which allows for the creation of the Dark Empire of all enshadowed kingdoms. Overall, I think if you like complex political management sims, then this might be for you. However, don't expect anything too deep, as many of the mechanics are just there to further your main goal of enshadowing provinces. I highly recommend playing the demo if you're thinking about buying it, just to get a feel of the game.
[h1] Pros: [/h1]
[list]
[*]Complex and expansive political system of various heroes, kingdoms, and religions that you are free to manipulate to your heart's content.
[*]There are numerous ways to approach the ending, from building shadow to destroying the world to making every one insane.
[*]Varied and unique gods, with some being for beginners and others having very challenging mechanics.
[*]This game has a very "unique" magic system, and literally treats it like a weapon (it even calls it an "arms race"), requiring careful planning. If your agents become too powerful, they will be hunted just like your god.
[*]There is A LOT of extra side content when you decide to explore around with your agents, who knows what you might discover?
[*]You can win via water.
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[h1] Cons: [/h1]
[list]
[*]The side content with the elves and orcs was a nice addition (I originally played this game before they were added), but they feel too weak to be useful in vanilla (there's a mod that adds onto it).
[*]The Deep Ones take WAY too long to develop, and sometimes the gain you get from doing so just isn't worth it.
[*]The Dark Empire was very disappointing, and feels very pointless. The Monarch can't really do anything beyond declare war and "forcing to surrender" (if the area is already enshadowed, and this only like hurts the town he's in, it doesn't make the kingdom give up). So the Empire can be a dud if it starts small. So it's like what's the point if you need to enshadow the place anyway (ignoring VP contribution)?
[*]You can't hurt army stacks (usually), but you can't control armies yourself outside of special cases (don't mention orcs because they're weak as hell compared to the doomstacks). I feel the lack of ability to produce and control armies was a poor decision.
[*]While I appreciate the uniqueness of some gods, some abilities I really just never used and couldn't find a use for.
[*]Infiltration is a conundrum to me, because it's a heavy requirement to pretty much do anything in locations in the game, but why do you still have to do it in locations you've enshadowed (the Monarch can actually ignore this, but there's only one Monarch)?
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[b] Verdict: 7/10 [/b]
