Symphony Of War is a perfect steam game for Fire Emblem fans

There was a large group of Interesting strategy RPGs this yearbut one of my favorites so far is symphony of war. It’s been climbing the charts on Steam in recent months, and for good reason. From afar it looks like another fire emblem It stops working or gets killed. Up close, it does enough interesting things to stand on its own, and I really recommend giving it a try.

Symphony of War: The Epic of the Nephilim It quietly came out on Steam in June and it was arrested Positive Reviews since then. Developed by an independent team called Dancing Dragon Games with a history of RPG Maker projects, this is a military drama filled with civil war and demonic threats. But you can pretty much ignore all of that. Below is the predictable plot and airy character images that are hard to put down. Personally, I think it’s better in the strategy department From triangle strategy.

Make no mistake: symphony of war It is old school. While the latest entries in fire emblem The series is deeper in Elements of the visual novel and the mechanics of the relationshipIt focuses almost exclusively on regenerating the nuts and bolts of traditional grid-based battles. What works well is that symphony of war It accentuates the essentials and also adds plenty of new wrinkles for fans to dig into (especially those who also dug in). Last few years god of darkness).

The biggest is that each individual unit represents an entire squad made up of multiple types of fighters. Perhaps there were some knights in front flanked by Pokemon men while magicians and archers rained down death from behind. When two units move next to and throw each other, a small turn-dependent skirmish begins. The mages in the back cast fireballs and healing spells while the knights in the front plate take out melee damage. The fight begins in two rounds, where the attackers get the first turn and the defending side goes in second. Some fighters can only attack the first or second turn, while others sometimes get lucky on an extra turn. The procedure is easy to follow but also opens up a lot of room for customization.

Adding more subtle layers of complexity are unique fighter bonuses and an extensive research tree. Horseback fighters get to attack first without retribution. Infantry provide defensive bonuses to nearby units. And archers can naturally attack from a distance without facing counter-attacks. These and other stats can then be augmented and magnified by researching new tech. Rather than leveling up specific units, you’re growing the overall capabilities of your army.

In this way Symphony of War forces you to sometimes think like a 4X Strategist While playing like a traditional JRPG fan. Instead of allocating one party and fighting through a dungeon, you build a small army out of them and take part in an entire battlefield. Completing missions faster and capturing enemy units and buildings along the way gives you additional money and points that can then be reinvested in equipping your various crews. Just a few new mods and the decades-old tactical JRPG formula looks fresh and modern back in 2022.

Some other games have also taken hybrid approaches to tactical RPGs lately. iron oath And the Al-Fath songs Both come to mind. The first is a roguelike game with battles that take place on a hexagonal grid. The latter also features a hexagonal battlefield in the service of map exploration and city building near 4X gameplay. They’re really promising games in their own right (still in early access), yet neither focus on deep plumbing to take advantage of small advantages so one group of sprites can clear the floor with another.

symphony of war Not a perfect package, but it offers one of the most innovative and meaty RPG tactics formula I’ve come across in years.