Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (Xbox 360 Preview)
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
By: Peench
Mention Kingdom Under Fire to an RTS or RPG fan and chances are they’ll know what you are talking about. After a great run on the PC, Kingdom Under Fire hit the Xbox in stride with Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders in 2004. As a third person action game with RPG elements thrown in for good measure, I remember enjoying hours of game time. The successor game Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes was released in 2005 and allowed control of the main character along with strategic control of your other fighting units. All of this while keeping the RPG elements we had all grown to love. Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom is mixing things up.
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (KUF: COD) is still an RPG at heart, but gone is your tactical control of armies and allies. Added in its stead is up to 4 person co-op as you battle your way through hordes of armies and the main storyline. Akin to Gears of War, up to three of your favorite co-op partners can hop in and out of the main storyline at any time. Also added are hundreds of new spells to learn and a countless variety of weapons with which to fight thanks to a synthesize system of combining weapons and other items for a cost.
General Gameplay
When I received the demo disc I was excited to have another go at a Kingdom Under Fire series game. Unfortunately I was unable to play online in co-op and my single player experience was a bit different than what I expected. There was less strategy and more hack and slash. Not that hack and slash was all that bad. I enjoyed the countless hours that I played Diablo. But the strategy in battles was missing. There was still strategy in terms of synthesizing items and choosing how to proceed along the story, but selecting units and sending them off to fight was simply not there.
Undeterred I continued to play. Thankfully I did. I didn’t get as much game time in as I would have liked but for the hours that I played I enjoyed myself. The game reminded me a bit of the Baldur’s Gate series games, but a bit more linear and a bit less roaming. Despite the seemingly scripted nature of progression I was hooked.
I enjoyed finding new items and trying to combine them into something awesome. I enjoyed learning new button combos that resulted in different attacks. I enjoyed the dream sequences where the story was played out in amusing script and play-acting. I enjoyed learning new spells and trying them out on hapless bad guys and evil minions. In fact, if I weren’t writing this review right now, I’d probably be playing. Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom was simply fun. Nothing fancy or snazzy, just some fun hack and slash with a fairly deep RPG system thrown in to keep you occupied for hours.
Tech Specs
The graphics in Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom were very nice. The worlds were lush and the evil character models were varied enough to enjoy meeting new baddies. The main characters (of which there are 6 (1 of which you need to beat the game to unlock), all have their own stories and background as well as unique talents, weapons and fighting style.
Those of you who played Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes may have thought the Rock soundtrack was very different for a game of its genre. Well whether you liked it or hated it, the soundtrack has changed. No longer will you rock hard during epic battles. Instead the soundtrack is heavily weighted in a classical flavor that better suits the game in my opinion. The soundtrack changes depending on whether you are safe or whether there are bad guys in the vicinity. The surround sounds are used very well and will instantly allow you to pinpoint from where you are being attacked. The background sounds are well done and give a great immersion to the game.
While it seemed to me that the maps through which I traveled were mostly the same, they are randomly generated and different every time you progress through the game. Each weapon has a unique sound and look as it is being used. Ranged weapons are introduced and are a great help when facing bow wielding bad guys. No longer do you have to run through a barrage of arrows to take down an opponent.
Game Rage
Unfortunately I didn’t get to enjoy the more than 40-50 hours worth of game play to finish the storyline. Nor did I have the chance to play for over 100 hours to see really all there is to see and experience in Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom. The hours that I did play, however, did not give me any rage. The battles were mostly predictable and just about every bad guy who I came across could be beat in some way or another by trying different tactics. As the game progresses there might be more of a challenge, but I can’t see game rage being a factor.
Butt Groove
Yes; Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom will allow you to introduce a butt groove so deep that your couch will never recover. As mentioned above, you can play for over 100 hours if you want to experience all that KUF: COD has to offer. My play time was only interrupted by the need for sleep and the PGL COD4 war. Just like I spent hundreds of hours playing Diablo and the Baldur’s Gate games, I could just as easily sit down and play KUF: COD for hours.
Bedtime Rating
KUF: COD is a mature rated title. While the death and destruction you wreak with your weapons are not really that much of a concern (being fantasy based and all), the dream sequences which carry out the story line offer some racy and sometimes vulgar comments. Vulgar is probably too harsh of a description, but I wouldn’t want my kids watching on while I played. Definitely wait until the kids are in bed before playing.
Multiplayer
As mentioned above, KUF: COD offers up a new and excited feature for the series. Up to 4 player co-op as you battle your way through the storyline. In a fashion similar to GOW, your friends can jump in and out at any time. You can also trade items with your Live Friends, view their progression through the game and assist them as they play.
I tried to join a multiplayer session but was unable as the parties whom I tried to join were in the middle of a battle. When the game is released on January 8, 2008, however, you will have no problem finding Friends with whom to play.
Conclusion
KOF: COD is a departure from the traditional Kingdom Under Fire titles. While not a direct successor to the prior titles, the storyline will serve as an important link to a future KUF title. I enjoyed the prior KUF titles because they were different. I enjoyed KUF: COD because it had many of the same returning characters as the old KUF titles, but offered me a gameplay more like Diablo and Baldur’s Gate; two games which I enjoyed.
Adding in 4 player co-op is huge in my opinion. While traditional RPG’s have been somewhat solitary experiences, WOW showed the world that RPG’s can be a very social experience. Some of the most fun I’ve had in games has been in co-op mode. I have always felt that games like Baldur’s gate on the PC and similar games would have been perfect for co-op. Since the pen and paper D&D games, RPG games have always been designed for multiple gamers to traverse the landscape together. With the characters of KUF: COD each having unique talents, the time is ripe for co-op play on a console.
If I had to play KUF:COD by myself I could certainly do it. If the game progresses along the same way it has for the first few hours of play I could get bored rather easily. By adding in the ability to play with Friends, however, KUF: COD could easily spend hours of time in my Xbox 360.
Good question, but I don't believe so. I think it is 4 player co-op over Live only. When I tried to access an MP game it took me to a loading screen and then told me that I couldn't join b/c the guys I was trying to join were in the middle of a battle. The loading screen and other things may change in the final version as I'm not certain how old the code in my demo copy was.
I did match up with them somehow though as they showed on my recently played list. And they were ranked 65+ where I was still a 7 or something!! haha. Actually I'm probably better off since I would have been dead as hell playing against the monsters they were up against!! haha
Arm Yourselves! The Wait for “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom” is Over
Xbox-360-exclusive “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom” now available in North America from BLUESIDE, Inc. and Microsoft. PDLC coming Jan. 22
Dust off your battle armor and take up your weapon of choice. “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom,” the highly anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive from BLUESIDE, Inc. ships today to retailers nationwide. Available for an ESRP of $59.99 and rated “M” for Mature, “KUF: CoD” combines classic characters from previous “Kingdom Under Fire” games with an exciting new Action RPG format to excite and engage players in a whole new way.
Featuring more than 50 abilities, 60 enhancements and infinite combinations of weapons, abilities and spells, gamers will battle menacing monsters across six acts like the gruesome Flesh Golem or the scorpion-like Necromancer. Familiar heroes like Regnier, Leinhart and Celine return with three additional playable characters to find their way out of darkness and back into the Realm of Light.
Fight alone or with up to three friends utilizing the full co-op multiplayer experience on Xbox LIVE. “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom” is one of the first network RPG online games for consoles featuring a seamless switch between offline and online gameplay. Available exclusively through multiplayer mode, players can obtain an exciting collection of rare and advanced items and abilities as well as create custom weapons and armor through Item Synthesis.
To further enhance the experience, players will be able to acquire new downloadable content Jan. 22 through Xbox LIVE. Available character content will range from amusing wearable add-ons like goggles and hats to intimidating animal skull helmets. For more information on “KUF: CoD” and all the latest information from the team at BLUESIDE, visit Xbox.com | Kingdom Under Fireâ„¢ Circle of Doom - Game Detail Page and Kingdom Under Fire : Circle Of Doom.
About BLUESIDE, Inc.
BLUESIDE Inc., consisting of the core members who created “Kingdom Under Fire” titles for Xbox®, is a developer of interactive game software with a mission to break new ground in the electronic entertainment industry. With highly experienced experts in game development, computer animation, and multimedia contents, BLUESIDE promises to deliver the most exciting and unique gaming experience to all gamers transcending cultures and territories. More information is available at :: BLUESIDE ::.
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
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