Field of Glory: Kingdoms is the eagerly anticipated new game from award-winning studio AGEOD and publisher Slitherine Ltd.,  It begins in 1054 A.D., just after the July 16th Great Schism, wherein the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Cerularius, was excommunicated, separating the Catholic church of the West and the Orthodox churches of the East.  Field of Glory: Kingdoms encompasses more than two centuries of European, African, and Middle Eastern history. According to our scribes, this game is deep, and will require close study before any verdict can be rendered.  However, we’ve had the chance to go back to the Dark Ages so we can give you some quick impressions. Strap on your spangenhelm and coif and join Sir Lloyd as he embarks on this Medieval adventure.

By: Lloyd Sabin

Since time immemorial, or at least 2002, the big question for PC game reviewers has been: ‘But will I like it?’ Meaning, what can you compare the latest digital offering to that I have played in the past.

That really does not work with Field of Glory: Kingdoms (“FoG:K”). It does not work because it is deeper and more detailed than most other similar games on the market, even while resembling them in so many ways. The real kicker for FoG:K is what is going on under the hood. And I think there may be more number crunching and mechanics going on in this newest offering from AGEOD and Slitherine than perhaps anything else they have ever developed our published.

Readers can get the basic description from almost anywhere online: set in 1054AD, FoG:K is a strategic simulation that puts the player in charge of running a medieval kingdom (surprise) in every aspect of its existence…with a tight focus on business, city-building and management and of course war. There are tons of different details to concentrate on, to the point of insanity. If you are looking for an extremely deep  game of kingdom management, look no further, here it is and I do not think it will be surpassed for some time.

A Tutorial. You’re going to need it.

Additional details: there are more than 400 factions to choose from, from the tiniest duchies to the most massive sprawling empires that existed at the time for players who came to rule. There are literally hundreds of units, in excess of 600 buildings, every relevant religion and dozens of cultural traits to adopt.

Structures and Edicts

And of course FoG:K is integrated with the original FoG tactical game to emulate the battles, if the player so chooses (I do).

Armies

The main question for you on purchasing is – how deep is your love? How much do you want to learn about the middle ages, how much do you love tiny details, how far do you want to go in your quest of simulating ruling a fief? FoG:K let’s you go as far as possible, to an extent.

Let’s be honest: the FoG games are great but they are not lookers. Same here with FoG:K and the same with Field of Glory: Empires (FoG:E). If you need that graphics fix, this is not the place for you. And to be brutally honest, on some evenings, even with my love of history, I just could not handle FoG:K because the detail is so…all-encompassing. Overwhelming. Titanic.

But I know there are many out there who crave crunching numbers on medieval city building, religion, culture and war. This is your royal sandbox. It is your moment to shine. Want to take Burgundy and rule western Europe? Have at it. Want to turn Leon into a world power? Do it here. Kievan Rus? Available. Go nuts!

The Grand Campaign!

Just know that FoG:K, even the tutorial, takes brain power and you just might not be up to it every single time you sit down to play. FoG:K is demanding and while packed with detail, it just might be too much for some players.

So, will you like it? If you are a true Grog who is of a certain vintage…ahem…like me…I venture to say ‘yes’ – qualified with the belief that you should read an AAR or watch a playthrough first. If you are a gamer who needs those sweet, sweet graphics…you still may enjoy it. If you can not handle reams of detail given to you over a few hours of a playthrough, then it is probably not for you.

Medieval Rankings

Some additional comments FoG:K has clearly evolved from FoG: E in its presentation, with FoG:K  generally running smoother than its predecessor and there is even a sense of humor injected into many of the menus and graphical touches, and I really appreciated that.

Make no mistake though, even from the tutorial it is clear that this is a game to be taken seriously. It can be a blast to play once the systems are learned and the player’s brain is calibrated to digest all the info properly, but it is not for everyone.

Main menu

Clearly serious playthroughs and AARs are needed here and I will happily abide as I know many of you will…but they will take some time to produce.

Until then, as a Grog or a fan of medieval history, culture and militaria, you can not go wrong. Everyone else, learn more about FoG:K first. And of course, if you played FoG:E and enjoyed it, dive in. If you didn’t, but like this era more…perhaps stay a while and listen, and keep an eye on what other players think. You will be glad you did.

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