Today, Firefly Studios has revealed the next entry in their venerable Stronghold franchise: Stronghold: Warlords, which is set in 3rd century BC China and progresses through to the beginnings of the Mongol empire in 1200 AD. Throughout the game, players will be able to recreate famous historical battles against imperial warlords, mighty khans, and shogun commanders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocU7-o6gsWQ&feature=youtu.be
“We’re adding a touch of grand strategy to Stronghold,” said Simon Bradbury, Lead Designer at Firefly Studios and creator of the Stronghold series. “It’s a deceptively simple yet powerful change, perhaps the biggest we’ve made to the series since the original Stronghold Crusader. Warlords takes core Stronghold and effortlessly layers a new mechanic on top.”
In Stronghold: Warlords, players can take control of a wide variety of troops, including samurai clansmen, imperial warriors, Mongol hordes, and tribal fighters as they lay siege to Chinese cities and Japanese castles. Historical rulers can be besieged using gunpowder-fueled weapons, as well as via classic units and the 'Warlords' feature.
Warlords is a feature where the player can recruit, upgrade, and command AI warlords on the battlefield. Each warlord has its own unique perks and characteristics designed to benefit the player in some way. A warlord can help the player economically or militarily, so each warlord can either allow the player to fortify their borders, forge weapons, or even team up for a combined assault. In fact, if the player just wants to have an economic game, certain warlords can be used to attack the enemy while the player builds up their resources.
Stronghold: Warlords is scheduled for release in 2020. To find out more, click here.
Quick Take
I'm cautiously interested. Firefly hasn't made a great game in a very long time, but they always do seem like they sincerely want to make excellent games. This game has some intriguing new features that might give the Stronghold franchise the shakeup it desperately needs. We'll see.
What do you think of this announcement? Are you a die-hard Stronghold fan? Let us know in the comments!
