At the time, the RTS was just coming down from its frenetic 1990s heyday, when new hits were being released seemingly every other week. Its principal selling point was an intriguing fusion of two related, but distinct genres – the city-builder, and the real-time strategy. The original Stronghold was genuinely novel upon release. Truthfully, nostalgia is the biggest plausible draw to the game and its potential to win new converts is limited.
Its distinctiveness is quite modest, however – this time around, Firefly bring relatively little that is new to the table, outside of settings in Asia and a dubious “warlords” concept from which this entry takes its name. Warlords is, depending on how you count, the eighth distinct game in the series.
#Stronghold warlords graphics series
Their castle-building strategy series has become as difficult for them to escape as an expertly-made medieval dungeon.įor over 20 years, relatively little has changed in Firefly’s approach to the series, as its core mechanics were well-established by the first instalment. Repeated attempts to break away from the series over the years have met with failure, compelling the team to produce a long sequence of sequels, updates, and re-imaginings of their original hot property. However, Stronghold has also proven to be something of a millstone around the company’s neck. The original game in this venerable franchise was released in October 2001, and became a million-seller which provided Firefly – then a newly-founded outfit – with financial stability. For the small British developer Firefly Studios, this has been true of their flagship Stronghold series. It’s a well-worn saying that success can be both a blessing and a curse.
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