#KINGDOM VS KINGDOM NEW LANDS HOW TO#
#KINGDOM VS KINGDOM NEW LANDS PS4#

It takes ages to go from one end of the island to another. The consequence is either: (a) victory takes much longer, or (b) failure is inevitable, but it drags out for ages. Also, I wouldn’t have figured out some crucial rules without checking a strategy guide online.Įven after knowing the rules, I’ve occasionally made a careless mistake. And when you have learned them, it can be a chore to replay the initial hours. There are many such “rules” you need to learn to beat the game, and it takes too long to discover them. This could mean a slow, inevitable doom because you need enough grass to attract rabbits (your early source of coins) and to nurture farmland (a powerful source of coins). Say goodbye to your source of new units.Īnother example: Building walls prevents grass from spreading. For example: If you cut down a tree flanking a wanderers’ camp, the camp will disappear. Some surprises are great, like finding a new horse or certain developments involving the Greed (I won’t spoil it for you). You’re supposed to discover how the game works on your own, which is fun at the outset. You need both walls and grass! Blood moons are a bad omen. But one major flaw keeps it from rising to the ranks of greatness: the myriad of important but hidden rules. To be clear, I like this game a lot for its overall experience.

#KINGDOM VS KINGDOM NEW LANDS PS4#

I tried this game with different controllers: PC with keyboard, PC with PS4 controller, Switch, and Switch Lite. So for once, I might rather play on iOS/Android than any other port. While the Switch allows a joystick push instead of a button hold, I still have to switch thumbs occasionally to prevent fatigue. The only grouse I have about controls is this: it’s tiring to hold down the left/right button to keep your horse running. A hard press will pay coins to build structures or turn wanderers into useful units: archers, builders, farmers, or knights. You drop coins on the ground with a soft button press, usually to recruit jobless wanderers. You only do three things: go left, go right, or use coins. Farms are an important source of coin.īesides the visuals and music, I love New Lands‘ three-button simplicity-born of Kingdom‘s mobile platform origins-and its text-less, menu-less interface.

For any experience to qualify as exciting, you need a little tension after all! It’s worth mentioning that New Lands received a nomination at the Independent Games Festival for “Excellence in Audio”. Music fades with sunset, though, as night brings an eerie and foreboding silence that precedes a Greed attack. The accompanying music is lovely, adding to the game’s relaxing experience. I’ve spent much time admiring my galloping reflection in the stream, watching deer run, or gazing at faraway mountains. For a game in which you’re attacked daily, it’s mostly very serene. Rather than hovering over a top-down map, you control a horse-riding Monarch (king or queen) who traverses back and forth side-scroller style. Oh wait, winter is permanent? Though there’s no time to dilly-dally in this game… First, the beautiful scenery and soundtrack. The Joy of New Landsīut let’s start with what was pure joy. This is New Lands’ double-edged sword, like many other features which make it simultaneously charming and annoying. You learn through close observation and fatal mistakes. It’s all about discovery, experimentation.

#KINGDOM VS KINGDOM NEW LANDS HOW TO#

Now what does this do?Ī ghostly figure gives you a few instructions on how to start playing, and that’s all the game will help you with. “Build, expand, defend.” The tutorial ghost is a concise fellow. Look forward to nightly attacks by the Greed. Lose on any island and you’ll have to start from the very beginning. Sailing off the island then takes you to the next location. Ultimately, the only way to fend off the Greed-whose attacks grow stronger each night-is to build greater defenses to survive while rebuilding your ship. If one of them grabs your Monarch’s Crown, it’s game over. They’re both adorable and fearsome, these little gold-grabbing critters who are after coin and Crown. Marooned on a forested island, you survive nightly attacks by a faceless horde called the Greed.

In New Lands, you expand your base sideways, claiming more and more land for your fledgling kingdom. But I didn’t know a tower defense game could be played side-scroller style! Side-Scrolling Tower Defense Roguelike: Acronym Needed Sure, you do build, recruit, and defend against waves of enemy attacks. Kingdom: New Lands is my first tower defense game, and it’s rather different from what I expected one to look like. System: Switch (also available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS/Android)ĭevelopers | Publishers: Noio, Licorice|Raw Fury Genre: Strategy, Tower Defense, Roguelike

Kingdom vs kingdom new lands