On the battlefield, Knight’s Tale’s stand-alone sequel excels. However, the game occasionally struggles with stability and storyline outside the front lines.
King Arthur: Legion IX
Platform:Â PC
Developer:Â NeocoreGames
Publisher:Â NeocoreGames
Release date:Â May 9th, 2024
Price:Â $19.99, $17.99 launch discount price until May 16th
Digital availability:Â Steam
An afterlife that allowed passage to the holy halls of Valhalla might have been granted to a brave Viking who died in battle. However, Gaius Julius Mento, a Roman legionary, found little solace in death. The Tribunus was first exiled to Tartarus, the underworld, in King Arthur: Legion IX. Nevertheless, Mento and his zombie group succeeded in making a miracle escape, reaching the island of Avalon.
As per the Arthurian mythology, the island represents a chance for regeneration. In keeping with the gloomy ambiance of King Arthur: Knight’s Tale, a game developed by Budapest-based developer NeocoreGames, players may anticipate a great deal of turn-based conflict prior to establishing Nova Roma as their colony.
Good Conversation, But Poor Delivery
NeocoreGames is well aware of the possibilities presented by a group of resurrected Romans making their way through an Arthurian purgatory. Legion IX is reminiscent of a WWF match from the second century, with plenty of pulpy disputes, hurried allegiances, and some intra-party bickering. This is mostly due to the exciting writing. Granted, there are the odd awkward conversations here and there, but thankfully they aren’t often enough to spoil the experience.
But the voice acting is a different story, with a few amateurs providing the voices of the supporting cast members. With their quirky delivery, their shoddy performances might even be so awful as to prevent a feeling of immersion. Next time, Neocore, please consider hiring some experts.
There is no such thing as a middle class man.
Legion IX’s morality chart system could use some refinement, but it’s hardly a total failure. Mento occasionally runs across moral conundrums, and your menu-based decisions have repercussions. Individual party members’ allegiance is impacted by decisions, which can result in statistical benefits or penalties. It’s possible that a rift can lead a character to decline assistance on a quest, in which case you’ll have difficulty maintaining satisfaction.
However, there is never any doubt because Mento adopts a human or demonic stance and reaps the related benefits. Because of this, the protagonist is flat rather than a multifaceted person stuck between the constant tug of two opposing beliefs. However, there are other issues with the plot as well. The conclusion of Legion IX seems incredibly hurried, maybe in an effort to make the deadline. A little more bug-testing would have been helpful in terms of performance. The game crashed four times in a playthrough of thirteen hours.
Outnumbered But Typically Not Overcome
On the battlefield, nevertheless, the zombie Roman comes dangerously close to redemption. Typically, encounters match your group of up to six allies against a far greater number of enemies. With their cool, character-driven powers, Mento and his friends can easily defeat a large number of opponents, giving the impression that they are powerful characters. Legion IX offers a plethora of impressive talents for players to choose from, such as Albina Virgilia’s ability to create self-directed firebirds and Plutonius Nerva’s capacity to bind two adversaries, so multiplying your offensive output.
Rather of allowing players to “roll their own,” the game offers pre-made characters, opening up the possibility of creative tactics and synergistic combinations. Characters are given Action Points (AP) every turn, which they can use for skills, attacks, movement, and the use of items. If they have extra AP at the conclusion of their turn, they can bank it. Advantages for defensive-minded players include using cover and performing XCOM-style overwatch manoeuvres that can detect opponents who are creeping up on you. Attack-oriented players, on the other hand, can take advantage of flanking opportunities and equip their tanky characters with weapons and equipment to make them capable of moving through the trenches like the Grim Reaper.
Every Way Points Toward Nova Roma
During your free time, you are constructing Nova Roma with the battle loot you have won. Condensed into a menu-building element, your expanding city will assist your characters in acquiring equipment that will increase their stats and give them new skills. It’s also likely that you’ll need to take advantage of every opportunity. Despite the fact that Legion IX’s normal difficulty setting is well-suited for fans of intermediate strategy, a few missions are enough frustrating to transform even the most forgiving gamers into enraged monsters. Gaius Julius Mento, I genuinely sympathize with your situation.
The review code for King Arthur: Legion IX was obtained from the publisher and used on a PC.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 75%
Controls – 70%
Aesthetics – 60%
Content – 75%
Accessibility – 70%
Value – 75%
71%
OK
Summary :Â Similar to King Arthur, Legion IX is very good at turn-based fighting. Because you are frequently outnumbered, you must utilize each party member’s powerful skills, which is a lot of fun. However, things aren’t quite that easy off the front lines. It appears like Legion IX is not fully battle-ready due to infrequent crashes, annoying difficulty spikes, a hurried conclusion, and uneven voicework.