Keep in mind that I’m reviewing the Majesty Demo, which from my understanding is a pre-beta build. Many things that I may mention could be completely different in the retail version of the game (supposedly sometime this first quarter of 2000). With this being said, let me continue.

As far as I’ve seen, Majesty unfolds like no other game. It cannot be called a RTS/RTT game as the units are not directly controlled. Instead, the units are influenced externally by greed, and greed alone. I’ve heard this game referred to as a "kingdom simulation" and I think that description does it justice. While there are a slew of simulation games on the market, none come across in the same manner as Majesty. It’s like locking SimCity and Warcraft in a room and letting them breed. Currently I’d say that Dungeon Keeper comes closest to this offspring.

The background graphics are decent. They seem a little grainy, however they are easily distinguishable. In the demo, the screen is locked at 800x600. An option to expand the resolution would be nice and I hope it is available in the retail release. Animations are the low point of the graphics. They are very choppy. Doubling the frames of animation would definitely help in this area. This was the first thing I noticed when I fired up the game. I noticed my little city guards jerking around from pose to pose as they walked around the screen.  Also, the variety of animations seem lacking. All warriors looked identical no matter what items they carried or level they obtained. A different set of animations would have been nice to help distinguish the veterans from the newbies.

While the demo did not have any music, there were sounds of many types. The sounds were very effective in allowing the player to keep up with what is taking place without having to visually confirm everything. The only aspect I would like to have seen changed, is to increase the radius of the sounds. Meaning, I’d like to be able to hear some things even if not on screen. However, this may get annoying and might not be present for a good reason.

The game was extremely easy to learn. Without reading any documentation I was able to play without any problems. The biggest hang up I think any one would have playing Majesty, is to learn that you cannot control the units directly.

The game played smoothly and I never found myself frustrated. However, I found it to be a bit slow. Many times I found myself sitting back and just watching when I’d rather be interacting with the game. This probably goes back to my fondness for RTS/RTT games over Simulation games, however, this position does exist. If you are a hardcore RTS/RTT player, this game may not be for you. However, if you are looking for something unique that offers a little from both worlds, Majesty may just be what the doctor ordered.

I was about to claim that the demo never crashed at all for me until I fired it up while writing this review to check a couple things. Of course then, it decided to crash on exit.  Still, for a pre-beta release, it was more stable than many retail games can claim.

I’d have to say that my love for RTS/RTT games over shadows what Majesty brings to the table. Perhaps more maps, more hero types, more monsters, etc., would bring enough to the table for me to enjoy without the direct control of each unit. For now, I’d definitely have to say that Majesty has my interest, the question is, will it hold it.