Survive the Vikings in Siege Survival: Gloria Victis

The average management sim is long-form and casual, sort of like a game of Risk. Still, every now and then comes one that tries to ramp up the stakes. With Siege Survival: Gloria Victis on the horizon, we may get another fast-paced and tense management sim to feast on. Combining a medieval setting with an ongoing invasion makes for a very challenging mix. The game promises to be quite expansive, weaving an interesting narrative with progression and development. Even though we’re only scratching the surface of what Siege Survival can offer us, it gives us plenty to look forward to…

What’s the Story, Morning Glory?

While you can’t throw a rock at a history text without hitting an invasion, we tend to target the Vikings. They were quite the grand conquerors with both the history and media depicting them as monstrous figures and Siege Survival is no different. The game is set in a vague European medieval kingdom when Vikings strike like heavy metal lightning. They quickly invade and occupy the city forcing any survivors to retreat to fall back to the local castle. With stone walls to provide a degree of protection, the souls behind them must do everything they can to support the defending forces until help arrives. Having nothing but rubble, resourcefulness, and a few farm critters to aid their cause, they’ll have to hold the line for a while.

The Best Chance We Have

When making the last stands, you really need to take stock of what you have so you can raise your percentage of survival. First and foremost are the people you have to join the effort. While all the soldiers are busy defending the walls, the civilians and artisans need to band together to literally hold down the fort. They’re all skilled in the basics and each has their own strengths, weaknesses, and stories that really flesh out each individual. Each one is hearty in their own way and brave enough to venture out into the night to look for supplies using stealth when necessary. 

There’s also the base itself. Though frequently under fire, the fort grounds provide enough space for a variety of workstations and facilities with which to experiment. However, there’s a strategic element in placing them since not every part of the grounds is safe from fire. There’s also a light farming element in caring for surviving animals. Having a pigsty and henhouse to tend to, you soon realize how invaluable their welfare is to your efforts. If feeding them proves too costly, they can still serve as an emergency source of meat.

To give a general sense of a feel for the gameplay, Siege Survival is most reminiscent of This War of Mine. It has a similar context but with an isometric view and more color, it’s an overall lighter experience.

Holes in our Defenses

Even the most impenetrable fortresses can have blind spots or clandestine entry points. All it takes is one exploitation to bring the whole thing down. Siege Survival has a few holes that the devs are likely working on patching. One hole is the save system relies solely on autosave. This may not seem like a big deal but time management is such a huge part and even the smallest task takes a fair amount. Saves only occur at the start of the day so those are the only points you can return to if the game shuts off during a night mission.

The second big hole is the RNG. The only chance to get caches of resources is during nighttime sneaking segments. You’re not only restricted to moving slowly to avoid drawing attention, but backpack space is also limited and items only stack so much. You have a map, but only a handful of things are highlighted and the layout of the city makes it very easy to get turned around. On top of that, rubble blocks most pathways, and shovels are harder to find than yaks in a barbershop.

Our Last Hope

Siege Survival: Gloria Victis by Black Eye Games and Fish Tank studio will be releasing on Steam in mid-May. It’s a management-sim occurring during a medieval Viking siege that focuses on the efforts of remaining defending forces. This game is a spear that could use some sharpening up but is a quality weapon that any soldier would be glad to have.

TechRaptor previewed Siege Survival: Gloria Victis on Steam with a copy provided by the publisher. It will be launching for PC in mid-May.