We have been following the development of the game for a couple of months Songs of Conquest, which you can currently find in Early Access on the Steam platform.
When we approached this game, the first thing that came to mind was, without a doubt, Heroes of Might & Magic III game that, personally, I have played and replayed in all ways.
Developed by Lavapotion and published by Coffee Stain Publishing, Songs of Conquest immediately awakened in me the desire to approach again this genre that I thought was now lost.
Let's go and analyze Songs of Conquest in its still not final form, but first enjoy the trailer! And also remember to visit the place.
What Songs of Conquest is about
Before going to talk in depth about the current situation of the game, let's examine the history of this title.
As this genre of games often teaches us, the task is to rebuild our kingdom through the various game campaigns. To date, there are four factions, each with their own history, their own weaknesses and strengths, whose purpose is to expand their domain and crush their opponents.
Let's get to know them better:
• Harleon
Arleon is what remains of the Empire, now dissolved and fragmented in Barony, where the strong prevail and the weak are forgotten. The knights have managed to keep alive a difficult deal with the Faey, magical creatures that live deep in the woods. Despite this fear for the Faye, peasant rebellions show no sign of abating. In Arleon order and discipline are maintained with the edge of the hangman's ax.
• Barya
Barya managed to break her chains that bound her to the Empire and allied with Harima to form a series of independent merchant states. Contracts between people are the law and anyone, human or Harima, thanks to his ingenuity and his business can become a reference figure in the country. The art of the coppersmiths and builders and the sound of the Hellbreath (you'll have to find out for yourself what this "monster" is) brings terror to their enemies.
• Frog
Frog, swamp dwellers, homeless scattered by their enemies and sometimes enslaved. But a mysterious Bringer has arisen, gathering all the peoples of the swamps and showing them how they too have the strength to react. The evil Ravagers, the wise Chelun and even the secret power Eth'dra will answer the call of the Bringer and when the world comes he will tremble at their roar.
• Barony of Loth
Loth, a declining barony, embraces the promises of the Invisible Society that will bring this alliance back to the glorious peacetime of the Empire's bright days. Cultists and scholars dig ancient battlefields for arcane artifacts to call legions of the Oathbound to serve again. Loth will rise to its former glory, even if it means bringing the dead back to life.
The premises are very simple, but throughout the story you will discover much more of what happens in the world of Songs of Conquest.
Songs of Conquest current situation and playability
The game is presented as a turn-based strategy game with 2.5D graphics. That is a combination of 2D and 3D that gives the game that slightly outdated air of the 90s of the last century.
Your task will be to enlarge the various settlements that you are going to conquer in order to generate, turn after turn, resources to recruit the troops that you will have to use in order to progress in the clashes. A little advice: always try to be ready for battles to the best of your ability because the game, in some respects, is really very punishing.
A very positive note is that Songs of Conquest it is already localized in Italian so you will have no problems in deepening the lore of the story and you will not get lost in looking for certain terms that may be unknown to you.
In addition to all this there are also various game modes that will keep players entertained for many hours, including completely player-controlled level generator and multiplayer.
The level editor allows you to create your own adventures as if you were the developer of a campaign or a simple skirmish map yourself. With the event system, workable via script, you can control the music, write the dialogues and you can share your creations with other players. In this case I recommend visiting the server Discord of the game to be able to see for yourself what is being created!
PROJECTED IMPACT
As I entered the world of Songs of ConquestBesides feeling a strong nostalgia for what had been a game from my childhood, I found myself looking at this game from a different point of view.
Often, when playing, I felt very frustrated because, even though I was at my peak and the game defined a simple battle against my opponent, my troops were literally wiped out by the magic system in the hands of the AI.
The game is not simple, but I believe that, given its Early Access situation, the developers, very close to the community, will also be able to balance the magic system which currently, in my personal opinion, has situations that should be better calibrated. .
Apart from this negative note, I very much appreciated the game and in particular the music, the real flagship of this jewel that is not heavy to download and will allow you to spend good hours of play waiting for its final version.
We can't wait to try it in its entirety and give it a real review! Until then, have fun and draw lots of maps and campaigns, but above all share them with us!
