Majesty 2 – The Fantasy Kingdom Sim – PC – Preview

I remember that when Majesty was
released several years ago, it looked intriguing and I wanted to play it. For
whatever reason at the time, though, I never did get a chance to do so. Now,
Majesty 2 is set to be released soon, and I have a demo of the game to preview.
So far, so good; it’s a different type of strategy game, but one that is
interesting enough to keep a player’s attention.

The similarities to mainstream
strategy games are the use of resources, fantasy type figures and the building
up of a kingdom. The gameplay takes place in real-time. The difference to other
strategy games in Majesty 2 lies in the manner in which players direct their
units. Instead of issuing commands to units and watching them move and act
accordingly, players will place “flags” on areas they wish their units to act
on, place some type of monetary reward on the flags, and wait for an “interested
party” to go earn the bounty.

For instance, if exploring the map
is needed, players can place explore flags on the map edges, choose a monetary
reward amount, and wait for a unit to respond. Early in the game, warriors,
rangers and rogues are available for exploration and defense purposes. I chose
to build a rangers guild, and purchased a few rangers. Then, I set an
exploration flag and put some money on it. The rangers responded by advancing
over to the flag I had set. Unfortunately, they were always attacked by enemy
skeletons and killed. Pitiful rangers these guys are, unlike Aragorn and his
tribe. I then built a warriors guild and placed more exploration flags with
rewards. The warriors responded and were much tougher than the rangers, as they
killed all the skeletons they encountered.

For other tasks like killing bears
and such, I just kept using the warriors. They are expensive, though. However,
there are plenty of opportunities for increasing the money fund. Taxes provide
the major source of revenue, but erecting businesses can earn money when the
various units purchase items from these buildings.

The gameplay is laid out in
missions, which are divided into chapters. These missions have goals that have
to be met for victory. The goals are introduced by a herald type of person who
announces news, similar in manner to a press release. The quests are then
available for later viewing in a task list.

Majesty 2 plays much like a
simulation game; I guess that’s why “Sim” is in the title, huh. Players take
certain actions from time to time, but then wait to see what will happen. These
units have a mind of their own, so there is definitely a lot of room for
open-ended play.

Visually, everything looks pretty
good, although these aren’t the best graphics I’ve seen. Many of the items
aren’t yet available in their final form, but have boxes as placeholders.

Majesty 2 looks to be a decently fun
game that is a cross between a strategy and a simulation game. If the final
version features increasingly complex missions and a good length of gameplay,
then Majesty 2 should present a solid gaming experience.