Sorcerer King

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 51
  3. Negative: 18 out of 51

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  1. Potatoer
    Jul 27, 2015
    9
    I've found the game very interesting. It's a mix of 4X and RPG and you're fighting an enemy much bigger than you. It feels unfair in a way, but the Sorcerer king doesn't start all in against you.

    The most appealing concept included for me is the crafting system, creating equipment, potions and scrolls can change the approach to battles that would otherwise be impossible. And the    I've found the game very interesting. It's a mix of 4X and RPG and you're fighting an enemy much bigger than you. It feels unfair in a way, but the Sorcerer king doesn't start all in against you.

    The most appealing concept included for me is the crafting system, creating equipment, potions and scrolls can change the approach to battles that would otherwise be impossible. And the enchantments give a lot of versatility, you can improve stats or you can give your units the possiblity to use special abilities.

    There's a fun balance found on research, at least in the early game. All the mana gathered each turn can be distributed between researching the abilities of your sovereign (kind of like a regular tech tree), researching spells or be used as mana to cast spells. It's possible to change how much mana you want to put into each field each turn, but the decision becomes a bit automatic in the late game, once you've found 12+ spells, finding new ones starts having diminishing returns. Each sovereign has a different research tree and they make the gameplay feel different enough, even if the buildings are basically identical independently of who you choose.

    The game still falls short in some aspects. The other factions feel like glorified mobs, they won't solve your game or make you lose it, I feel there's a big missed opportunity here, maybe expansions will look further into that. The complaints about the AI are certainly justified in maps larger than normal size (or in campaign, where the AI mostly sits around, but it's my understanding that's a design decision to make the campaign work as a tutorial of sorts). In higher difficulties in smaller maps, the AI is actually very competent, but playing in small maps removes part of the appeal of 4X games. As for the replayability, the sovereigns and starting hero makes the starting portion of the game feel different and the premade maps make some zones/resources to be prioritized, but once you understand what's the objective of the game, the late game is mostly about defending your borders until your army is big enough and it can get a bit repetitive.

    Overall I've enjoyed it a lot, I have over 80 hours on it. I would recommend it to anyone who likes 4X and wants to play something original. If you're only interested in the RPG part of the game, this may not be for you.    … Expand
  2. blubberguts
    Nov 5, 2015
    10
    Brilliant. It's as if they took Fallen Enchantress and fixed everything that was wrong with it. The UI makes MUCH more sense, it's intuitive now. Crafting is fun. The doomsday clock adds excitement to lengthy campaign games. The map looks better now. No bugs or crashes after hours of play.

    Finally the tactical maps are much more fun. They look better and play better. I'm recommending    Brilliant. It's as if they took Fallen Enchantress and fixed everything that was wrong with it. The UI makes MUCH more sense, it's intuitive now. Crafting is fun. The doomsday clock adds excitement to lengthy campaign games. The map looks better now. No bugs or crashes after hours of play.

    Finally the tactical maps are much more fun. They look better and play better.

    I'm recommending this one to my friends. If you like fantasy strategy games, do yourself a favour and try this one.

    I notice there's a few very negative reviews out there - it might be that some people are still "punishing" stardock for the buggy mess they released last time. It's been known to happen before.

    Keep an open mind, and try this for yourself. It's currently my favorite strategy game.    … Expand
  3. Athena324
    Jul 21, 2015
    10
    As a newer gamer, I found the game to be super fun and beautiful. I think fantasy is my niche. The art is incredible, the quests are witty and make me laugh regularly. I didn't think I'd enjoy turn-based but Sorcerer King has me hooked. Just one more turn...
  4. Czar
    Jul 16, 2015
    10
    I love the turn based 4x style game. I have played all of the stardock variations. And this one is simply brilliant. You have lost the war, now it is time to ensure you don't cease to exist. While the Sorcerer King is busy trying to destroy the shards in order to ascend to godhood you have to build your rag tag empire up out of the muck and not only prevent it happening but take him down.I love the turn based 4x style game. I have played all of the stardock variations. And this one is simply brilliant. You have lost the war, now it is time to ensure you don't cease to exist. While the Sorcerer King is busy trying to destroy the shards in order to ascend to godhood you have to build your rag tag empire up out of the muck and not only prevent it happening but take him down. This game has the "just-one-more-turn" factor in spades. I have spent over 60 hours on it already and most of that was during beta development. If you enjoy fantasy 4x games then this is a must-get game. It is not difficult to get into it but the replay value is enormous and each time the game feels different. Different adversaries, different heroes and magic all make sure that the game has a great deal of variation.… Expand
  5. sniper1120
    Jul 21, 2015
    9
    I have to say - I actually like this game. I've never been a big fan of any type of turned based games, but after playing Sorcerer king for a few days, I'm hooked! I haven't run into any game breaking bugs, i'm playing a class i never thought I'd play (Tinkerer!.... I'm more of a 'build a huge army and overwhelm them' type of person), and having a blast doing so. I've tried CivilizationI have to say - I actually like this game. I've never been a big fan of any type of turned based games, but after playing Sorcerer king for a few days, I'm hooked! I haven't run into any game breaking bugs, i'm playing a class i never thought I'd play (Tinkerer!.... I'm more of a 'build a huge army and overwhelm them' type of person), and having a blast doing so. I've tried Civilization and even Galactic Civilization... and while they look like they can be lots of fun for many users, they just didn't hook like like this one did. Part of what hooked me was some of the funny dialogues that went on. I, for one, like yelling back at ghosts.

    I'm giving this game a 9/10, because the game really did interest me over many of the other turn-based games out there - and kept me interested. I haven't beaten it yet, but I'm getting closer and closer. If only I had more time on my hands...    … Expand
  6. tommybiznas
    Jul 21, 2015
    10
    Had a lot of fun even though this is not my normal go to game type. I don't normally like turned based strategy but am a huge fantasy fan and this game hit the spot.
  7. Sakuravoid
    Aug 11, 2015
    10
    This game is fantastic. Learning how to play, and surviving under the pressure of sorcerer king is a different kind of fun at first place. The quests have humors, and the choices are tricky. I like the part that the troops can only get stronger by surviving. Thanks.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. CD-Action
    Oct 17, 2015
    40
    I honestly don’t know who was the intended target group for Sorcerer King. There’s almost nothing fresh in this game to attract those who avoided 4X strategies and the genre’s veterans will snarl with disgust and return to much more complex Age of Wonders III. [10/2015, p.66]
  2. GameOver.gr
    Oct 14, 2015
    70
    A fine example of 4X strategy, Sorcerer King may not have what it takes to compare with the best of its genre; nonetheless, it’s a great and uncomplicated first step for newcomers, offering at the same time a substitute for veterans.
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  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Sep 25, 2015
    66
    To increase gameplay speed, Stardock had to sacrifice a lot; perhaps, too much. Building variety went down the drain, you don’t have to balance the budget because concept of money is gone, and tech trees regressed back to Master of Magic-style magic books. [Issue#201, p.66]
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