Warchief

Warchief is a pretty interesting take on the real time strategy genre because it mixes traditional army management with hero abilities and some MOBA style ideas. I choose a Warchief and then build an army while moving around the jungle, fighting enemies and taking control of important objectives. I liked how quickly the action gets going because I am not spending ages setting up a huge base before anything happens. It feels more focused on making decisions during the battle. The hero system is probably my favourite part. The available Warchiefs have their own abilities and playstyles, so choosing the right one changes how I approach a match. I enjoyed having a hero who can directly influence the fight rather than simply watching my units battle each other. The abilities give me something extra to manage while I am also thinking about my army, and using them at the right moment can make a noticeable difference. Building the army is where the strategy gets more interesting. There are different types of units, including melee, ranged and flying creatures, along with spells that can be added to my setup. I have to think about what combination I want before and during a match, and some units are only available once I reach the required level. I liked being able to change my composition depending on what was happening instead of being completely locked into one strategy. The jungle exploration is another feature I enjoyed. There are buildings and strategic objectives to capture, while exploring the map can also lead to useful artifacts. These artifacts can be equipped to heroes or units and provide bonuses that affect the army. This gives me another reason to move around the map rather than simply marching directly towards the enemy. It also creates some nice moments where I have to decide whether chasing an objective is worth taking the risk. The main problem for me is that Warchief still feels like a game that could use more content and refinement. It is an Early Access title, and the current experience is fairly focused around its core battles. I would like to see more heroes, units, spells and different situations added over time because the basic mechanics are good enough to support a much larger game. Once I have spent enough time with the existing options, the lack of variety becomes more noticeable. I also found that the simple approach can sometimes work against the game. I like that it is easier to understand than some larger RTS games, but there are moments where I wanted more control over my army and more depth in the strategic systems. The matches can be fun and chaotic, but the experience does not always feel as deep as a traditional full scale strategy game. For me, it works better as a quicker action focused RTS than something I would play for extremely long sessions. Overall, Warchief has a solid idea behind it and I enjoyed the combination of heroes, army building, exploration and real time combat. The hero abilities and artifact system give the matches some personality, while the different units and spells let me experiment with different strategies. It still needs more content and polish, but the foundation is enjoyable and the fact that I can play it for free makes it easy to give a try. I think there is plenty of potential here if the developers continue expanding the game. Rating: 6.8/10