Battle Realms: Information from Answers.com Mobile

Battle Realms

Platform: IBM PC Compatible
Release Date: November 13, 2001
Genre: Strategy
Style: 3D Real-Time Strategy
Similar Games: Empire Earth (IBM PC Compatible), Myth III: The Wolf Age (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

The first in a series of games developed by Liquid Entertainment and published by Crave Entertainment, the real-time strategy game Battle Realms is set in a story-driven fantasy world where samurai roam, surrounded by werewolves, ninjas, and geisha warriors. Battle Realms offers a deep and complex story, intensely detailed animé-inspired art, a living resource system, ever-changing strategies, and imaginative units, along with a unique 3D engine. The story of honor and heroism combines with clear goals and detailed character development throughout.

Guide the fate of Kenji, heir to the fallen Serpent Empire, who, having returned to his homeland after a seven-year exile, must now make a choice whether to subjugate or liberate his feuding land. Standing against him are the wild, untamed Wolf Clan and the malignant Lotus Clan in a world that is visually alive -- a place where peasants go about their daily tasks, and time marches on around you regardless of your actions. A wise sensei smokes his pipe outside the dojo while warriors train inside, birds nestle and fly among the trees and just down the road, a geisha bathes in a hot spring outside her home. In Battle Realms ninjas vanish in clouds of smoke, monks leap to impossible heights, and Zen archers can hit sparrows from across the battlefield while blindfolded.

Battle Realms is also set in a world that features a "living resource system," so how you manage your resources has a direct impact on your remaining tactical decisions throughout the game. If you use all of your peasants to grow rice, the town economy will boom and more options for troop armament and technological advancement will open. At the same time, the number of troops diminishes, because the peasants are busy farming and not training to become warriors. You will need to plan your strategy carefully to succeed.

Battle Realms' combat system is distinguished by its combat engagement AI because units intelligently react to terrain, opponent ability, and distance in combat situations. If a mounted samurai is on a hilltop firing down upon troops in the distance, the unit will know to use its secondary weapon, the Katana (a hand-to-hand weapon) when the opposing troops come into close range. In addition, if the opponent is using muskets or other ranged weapons, the unit will know to take cover to avoid bullets.

Liquid, drawing on their experience working with the Command & Conquer and StarCraft development teams, worked diligently to balance the units in the game and used many sources for inspiration, including Asian cinema.

~ Tara Hernandez, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

The developers at Liquid drew upon their experiences with the Command & Conquer and StarCraft development teams and used many sources for game inspiration, including Asian cinema.

~ Tara Hernandez, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Simplification in a complicated gaming world is an elegant thing, if done right. Often, focusing on subtle details over a flood of features makes for a title worth returning to again and again. Battle Realms is a perfect example of the "less is more" concept put to good use, and a fun game to boot.

As Kenji, exiled head of the Dragon Clan in a broken land that resembles ancient Japan, you return to once again reunite the people under your family's banner. Unification means defeating the splintered clans of the Serpent, the Wolf, and the mysterious Lotus. Along the way, allies and enemies will twist the plot, occasionally guided by your choice of providence to attack next. Battle Realms's story unfolds in an understated, but gripping manner.

The only two prevalent resources are water and rice, and the set population is usually 30+ instead of the normal 100 or so. What evolves from the simple economy and sparse number of units is less of a RTS game and more of a game about squad warfare. Gamers used to a "million men with sticks" or "tank rush" tactics will find the game frustrating. Conversely, strategists who learn the lay of the land and respect the pros and cons of each unit will find the nuances truly enjoyable.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Battle Realms is unit training. Peasants appear from huts and can build, gather, or train to become warriors in military buildings, but creation slows down as the populace nears its limit. After basic training, warriors can continue their studies, as in the case of an archer who learns the arts of hand-to-hand combat in the dojo to become a Dragon warrior, capable of melee or magical ranged attacks. Such a unit can train up to the ultimate, a Samurai, skilled with bow and sword. Additionally, Geishas can study the arts of healing to the point of sacrificing themselves to heal others. This deft move by the designers means a wide variety of units with only a scant number of buildings.

While Battle Realms has fewer types of buildings and units than RTS games like Empire Earth, the items are exquisitely rendered. The four different clan types have a unifying theme through their respective elements. As the Dragon Clan features buildings like a Dojo, Archery Range, and Bathhouse, the Wolf Clan has more of a barbaric feel to it. The Wolves Den, Quarry, and Vitality Gardens are all built of rock, exclusive to the Wolf Clan. Additionally, animations of characters waiting for orders are funny and crisp. Graphics are only blocky during close-up cut-scenes, but not to the detriment of gameplay.

The game has a few noteworthy limitations. Fights tend to breakdown into chaotic melees and even the stalwart Samurai get mowed down by towers. The lightning cast by the Lotus Clan is unbalanced, decimating forces with ease. Simple doesn't mean easier by any means, and the unit balance between clans could have been better. In multiplayer games, as long as a single peasant lives, rebuilding the army is not a problem, which makes for tedious drawn out battles at times. Finally, having various storylines to play for each group would have been nice, such as the rebellion of the Wolf Clan or the Lotus Clan's ultimate goal of stopping Kenji. Perhaps add-on packs will include more stories.

Sounds play a vital role in Battle Realms. When a squad enters the forest, birds shriek and fly away, often giving away their position. Other sound effects are excellent, the clang of a sword cleaving enemies or the meaty "thunk" of an arrow striking true are well done. Even the voice acting shines, which is an improvement on many RTS games.

Multiplayer games in Battle Realms, despite dragging on at times, are solid. A host of maps give gamers multiple places to hold a war. The skirmish mode, while not as challenging as a human opponent, also gives generals a chance to scout the lay of the land and a nice workout to brush up their squad strategies.

Battle Realms doesn't have the hundreds of units of Total Annihilation and Empire Earth, or the rocking soundtrack of the Command & Conquer series, nor the hype. What it does offer, however, is sharp graphics and sounds, a fine story, and exciting gameplay. Fans tired of the fanfare and hoopla who want a really good game should turn to Battle Realms as an exciting, viable alternative.