Amazon.co.uk Review:
In a nutshell: Become king of your very own castle with the latest in the popular series of castle building sims, now with added vampires and in full 3D!
The lowdown:
The thought of building your very own castle is one of the key pleasures of a young mans life, whether its made out of sand, tree branches or LEGO bricks. The Stronghold series has been all about channelling those childhood dreams into structured gameplay, but this latest version has just as much emphasis on real-time combat as it does castle building. This is a bit of a shame as its the castle construction that was the unique and interesting element and that, along with resource management, has now been very much downgraded. The combat which is the new focus is shallow, but still enjoyable, and there are enough unusual units and features to keep strategy fans interested.
Most exciting moment:
This is the first time the Stronghold series has ever used real 3D graphics and although some of the human characters seem a bit blocky the actual castles look great and the camera view allows you to zoom in on a surprising amount of detail on all the buildings and walls.
Since you ask:
The word Legends refers to the fact that you get to control mythical figures such as King Arthur and Vlad the Impaler through their own story campaigns. There are also a lot more magical units to employ in battle, including dragons, dwarves, giants and werewolves.
The bottom line:
It doesnt play to its strengths, but its still the best castle builder on the block. -HARRISON DENT
Manufacturer's Description
Stronghold Legends is a Real Time Strategy (RTS) game that builds on the fantastic Stronghold heritage, combining beautifully crafted visuals and well balanced gameplay with the epic legends of the middle ages. Currently anticipated to be available in fall 2006, Stronghold Legends is being developed by the award-winning Firefly Studios.
Stronghold Legends is a dramatic addition to the series, combing a range of new gameplay innovations including a new strategic conquest style of play and exciting new multiplayer modes. Gamers can play as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Count Vlad Dracul or relive the heroic sagas of the mighty Siegfried of Germany in twenty-four missions that span across three unique campaigns.