Click here for the latest News!
Click here for Previews!
Click here for Cyberlore Interviews by Dragon!
Click here for Cyberlore Reviews by Majesty-Dragon!
Click here to view the Majesty-Dragon Forums!
Click here to see in-game screenshots!
Click here for links to related sites and reviews!
Click here for available downloads!
Click here for strategy guides and tips!
Click here information on Majesty-Dragon!
Click here to visit the Majesty home page!
Click here to visit the Cyberlore home page!
Click here to view Forrest's FAQ!
Click here to view the news archives!

Majesty BETA Review by Dragon 3-7-2000

Originality:      10
Graphics:          9
Sound:             9
Gameplay:          10
Stability:          9
Learning Curve:    10
Overall Score: 9.5

Once again we enter the world of Ardania, and once again we find ourselves looking to save our kingdom from the vile evil that plagues the land, but instead of the small limited kingdom we saw in the DEMO, we are granted a vast kingdom with heroes galore.  As we again watch our kingdom grow we notice little touches.  There seems to be a few more frames of animation than we remember.  The spells seem a bit more spectacular.

Many of us found the DEMO small, easy and limited in replay value.  The full version is like the difference in night and day.  There are so many building options and hero combinations, that mixed with the random map creation, the scenarios never play the same way twice.  With 19 different scenarios and multiplayer capability, the Majesty world seems vast.  You can easily spend hours upon hours playing this game.  I am an avid game player, but to be honest, the only single player game that I have ever played all the way through was FreeSpace, and that game had more missions in the tutorial than in the game itself (I exagerate of course).  It took me about a week or more of dedicated play to finish Majesty.  I finished it, not because I felt obligated to, but because I HAD to finish just one more scenario..then the next...then the next.  It may come to a point where Majesty may need to be a controlled substance.  It is very addictive.

The scenarios fall into one of three levels: beginner, advanced, and expert.  To be honest, I would like to unofficially add a 4th I like to call Massochistic.  This applies only to the very last level that you can only play when you beat the rest; but rest assured, it can be beaten.

In the beginner level scenarios you will be forced to learn the basic laws of the land.  You will learn proper building placement and how to make money or die trying.  Each step up in difficulty adds new challenges and seems very balanced in this regard.  Each scenario adds something a little different.  A special monster here, a unique plot twist there.  Each time you are asked to adjust your play style to facilitate the destruction of a new evil.

Each scenario is independant from the rest.  You may play them in whatever order you wish excluding the final one.  You will not be able to carry heroes over from one scenario to the next, but after playing the BETA it is easy to see that doing so would sap the fun from the game.  It is easier to think of yourself as the ruler of all of Ardania where you have many seperate kingdoms spread across the land.  The game only gives you the luxury of handling those kingdoms one at a time.

RTS fans watch out!  If you head into Majesty expecting to control each of your heroes one by one like mindless drones, you are in for a big surprise.  This has to be one of the most difficult concepts to grasp while playing.  You have no direct control over your units.  At first you are confused, then you get angry, then it sinks in.  Suddenly you are having fun.  This aspect has not changed since the DEMO.

One thing that definitely does change in your perception from the DEMO is your desire to continue playing beyond the completion of each scenario.  In the DEMO it was always tempting to try and see how big your could get your kingdom AFTER you have completed the objectives.  I have found that in the full version, that desire is gone.  There is always a new scenario to beat or something new to try.

There a few nice features built into the game.  As in the DEMO, each hero name is randomly generated and therfor unique and endeared to their king.  In the full version you can rename your heroes once they reach 10th level.  So, if you feel that your warrior would be better served being named "Sir Robin the Chicken-Hearted" then so be it.  Your buildings can be renamed as well.  After all, they are your buildings.

A couple of other features missing from the DEMO but available in the full version is Kingdom Zoom and Game Speed Control.  It is pretty easy to figure out what Game Speed Control does, but the Kingdom Zoom allows you to zoom out from your kingdom to get the big picture.  This is a very handy option for when you kingdom begins to get large.

Don't get me wrong, Majesty has its flaws.  You cannot change screen resolutions.  It is always stuck at 800x600.  There also is no map editor.  Maps are randomly generated from requirements that can be adjusted in a freestyle mode, but don't expect to pull the same map twice.  Random means random.

Overall Majesty rules!  I don't think you can get more bang for your buck and as always Cyberlore has been open and responsive to the requests and needs of the fan base.  It is certainly unlike anything out there, and now we hear that they are already working on an expansion set and Majesty2.  Sleepless nights ahead!


Pros:
Original Concept
Engrossing gameplay
Cyberlore fan relationship
A lot of game for the money
Re-play-ability
Cons:
Lack of a map editor
Stuck at 800x600
 
Click here to visit the previous site in the ringClick Here for Information on the Majesty Web Ring!Click here to visit the next site in the ring

Click here to visit the GameSpy home page!
Click here to visit the StrategyPlanet home page!

[News] [Interviews] [Reviews] [Forum] [Gallery] [Links] [Downloads] [Strategy] [Dragon-Info] [Forrest's FAQ] [Archives]
All rights reserved.  Copyright © 1999, 2000 by Majesty-Dragon.  Majesty and the Majesty Logo are trademarks of Cyberlore Studios, Inc.  All other logos, brand names, and product names listed are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.