Offering both single and multiplayer gameplay options, Ancestor’s Legacy brings you a wartime RTS game set in the era of the Vikings. If you’re looking to play solo, you’ll get to choose from a number of different and short campaigns, while those looking to play actual matches against another person or the AI have two options for match-types that can be played in games of up to three-on-three.
Single Player
If you want to go it alone, Ancestor’s Legacy gives you plenty of things to keep you occupied. There are four nations to choose from, Vikings, Slavs, Germans and Anglo-Saxans. As of right now, both the Viking and A-S campaigns offer two separate ones, pitting you in control of a leader of your choice to experience their story, while the German and Slav campaigns only offer one. Make note though, that these latter two have slots labeled “Coming Soon” for these campaigns to be added at some point in the future.
No matter the campaign you choose, they run five chapters in length, with each taking about an hour or two to complete (dependent on your play style). Each chapter places you on a singular map, starting with a small objective that leads into a much larger one. You’ll find yourself gathering food supplies to begin with before you’re burning down villages and slaying your enemies.
What’s nice about these campaigns is it’s a way to break down a lot of the game’s mechanics into smaller increments, allowing you time to become more familiar with them. Learn to flank your enemies, gather resources, build and maintain villages, all at a pace that the game sets for you. So if you’re not one to play RTS games very often, this is an excellent place to start and teach yourself the game. Master the campaigns and all they have to teach you, and you’ll be able to bring what you learn over to…
Multiplayer
This is where the real meat and grits lie in this game. All multiplayer modes can be experienced against either other actual
players or the games AI (difficulty scale included). Choose between Annihilation or Domination modes, decide if you want to play either 1-on-1, 2-on-2, or 3-on-3, and off you go! The game mode sets the win condition for the map. With Domination you’ll need to control a majority factor of the map over your opponent(s). While annihilation…well, the game goes on until one side is completely and utterly obliterated.
If you decided to play the campaign, here is where everything will come together. Units are controlled in groups instead of individually, with a maximum of ten members per unit. This is where you’ll recruit further fighters, create and manage your village, and farm resources nearby to assist you in building weapons or more structures. It should go without saying that this is a mode where you’ll need to dedicate your time and focus solely to the match going on. Every second is crucial.
Depending on the nation you decide to play as, you’ll find yourself with some advantages and disadvantages. One nation can start off really strong, threatening to make a quick wipe of the game, while others may need to reach a certain tier in the tech tree before they show their true power-house colors. Otherwise, you’ll start with the same amount of stuff on the map as everyone else : one unit, and a base of operations that can be expanded into the rest of your village.
Overall, Ancestor’s Legacy is a really fun and intense game. It’s beautiful graphically, and the single-player story is not only well played out, but it’s inspired by real-life events, adding a little pizazz for any history buffs who jump into this one. If you’re a fan of RTS games like Company of Heroes 2 or Starcraft, you will instantly feel right at home in this game. A lot of the mechanics feel the same and once you get your hands on it yourself, it’s plain to see.
The combat is a ton of fun to control and watch. You can even zoom the camera in super close to get right behind your troops, watching them in action. I definitely made a lot of use out of this view. This game looks crisp and it runs super smooth…what’s not to love?
