Stardock has made their
promised
fantasy strategy game announcement, unveiling Sorcerer King. which they say
offers a twist on the 4X genre with its introduction of asymmetrical victory
conditions. In another twist, the just-announced game is already available
through early access
on
Steam with a full release planned for spring 2015. The
Sorcerer King website is live, and
offers
a gameplay trailer
along with more details. "Sorcerer King is a new model for 4X games," says Derek
Paxton, VP of Stardock Entertainment. "Instead of competing against equal
players, you’re behind the eight ball trying to stop the Sorcerer King and his
minions from destroying the world. It’s strategy gaming under a guillotine."
Here's word on the game and why it may include top six lists about pop culture
tropes:
The Sorcerer King beta is available now at http://store.steampowered.com/app/241990
for $39.99 (discounted 15% to $34.00 for a limited time). Players are able to
explore a vast and detailed world, finding treasure and adventure throughout the
monster-infested wilderness. Overcome tough but often amusing dilemmas in
hundreds of quests written by Cracked.com's Chris Bucholz, and command your
armies in tactical battles against the Sorcerer King's monstrous hordes. You
must defeat the Sorcerer King's terrifying lieutenants to unlock the Shadow Gate
and eventually battle the dark demigod himself or all will be lost. Again.
A sophisticated "Game Master" AI controls the Sorcerer King's unscripted
assaults. Unlike traditional 4X games where evenly matched rival factions race
toward diverse victory conditions, Sorcerer King has the player and his enemy
playing by an entirely different set of rules. The Sorcerer King doesn’t need to
crush your empire, he just needs to destroy the magical shards in order to enact
his doomsday plan. Defending the shards, not careful plotting toward economic
victory, is the only way to save the world.