Immortal Empire

Old-school RPGs used a combination of story, gameplay and artwork to achieve a unique experience, one that has yet to be equaled so far. Obviously, it probably wouldn’t work like that today, given the expectations of the community, but many are still trying to revive the genre as close to the original ideas as possible. Thankfully, there are quite a few good examples as well.

Immortal Empire is an isometric RPG with turn-based combat and a long storyline that requires many hours to be completed. It is also quite punishing with newcomers, since there are many things you need to get acquainted with in a rush. On the other hand, the complexity is welcomed in the genre, especially after modern studios have managed to simplify almost everything in the last decade or so.

As mentioned before, the storyline is quite long and detailed, with many characters to meet and a lot of quests to pursue. On top of it all, the dialog is voice acted, which helps with immersion and makes it easier on the eyes when comes to reading. However, most of the quests require you to go to a specific area and kill something, which becomes rather repetitive. Still, the actual story is definitely intriguing and well-written.

The combat is turn-based, but not in the traditional sense. Each character has an action bar that allows it to move, attack or cast spells, which depletes with every move you make. Spells and special abilities also have quite the long cooldown period, and they also cost mana in certain cases. This means that you have to really think about a battle plan, otherwise you can be left unable to counter the enemy’s attack.

As far as the visual quality is concerned, you are greeted by a classic isometric point of view, which is obviously not a problem. On the other hand, the actual graphics are a bit old and rusty for this day and age, which might not sit well with everyone. Even so, as long as you concentrate more on the story and the characters, the graphics really won’t be a bother.

Immortal Empire is definitely a gem worth playing, especially if you are a fan of old school RPGs. The game comes with a variety of class choices, a large skill tree, and a very long storyline to keep you occupied.