User Reviews (1 - 11 of 50)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Reminicent of the first time I played Warcraft...great!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: November 17, 2001
Author: Amazon User

What a fantastic game -- I am a die-hard fan of the real-time strategy genre, and never thought I'd ever match the goosbumps I got the first time I played Warcraft years ago. Starcraft came close (I still play that game with my brother-in-law online...timeless), Kohan and C&C Red Alert 2 were fun while they lasted, but Battle Realms really does take the cake. Who'd have thought that Ubi Soft, notorious for releasing horribly untested games, would make something as great as BR? True, the game does have a slight tendency to bomb occasionally, but a patch should fix that shortly. BR's 4 clans are extremely well-balanced and unique with special "battle gear" that improves combat acumen. Populations are limited to 30 -- including your peasant class -- and there are built-in discouragements to the rush tactic. I know you don't know me, but trust me: it you've ever liked an RTS game, you owe it to yourself to check out Battle Realms.

Strategy is essential

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: November 13, 2001
Author: Amazon User

First, the game is great. Incredible graphics, superb sound, easy to use interface. The real thing that sets this game apart is the need for real strategy. The landscape makes a big difference in a battle. Archers see farther when on a bluff. Units can't be seen very well when in the forest (although disturbing the birds can give you away). The limit for units is small and the more units you have the slower they are generated (all units start as peseants spawned from their huts) So, unlike other RTS games where even a unskilled player can throw alot of units at an opponent, this game requires you to plan your units and upgrades for maximum effect. The game makes me leave the computer in frustration on occasion, but it keeps calling me back. The sure sign of a great game.

Instant fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: September 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I am amongst the few lucky who are part of the beta. I was expected a lot from this game and it seems that I was expected right!! With its user-friendly interface, its ressources management system, you enter into the game without any headache to learn how to do things. The unique training system of Battle Realms put a versatileness never reached before. All in this game is made to put the gamer in the center of action with ease and INSTANT FUN.
A fun enhanced by the high quality of graphism, the smoothness of the animation full of imagination and by the living world of Battle Realms which adds this precious "touch" that makes great games.

Big Potential but

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 16 / 24
Date: December 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Battle realms has alot going for it, Cutting edge graphics, slick sound, nice story, and innvation.
However, where it fails, is in The most basic thing, combat.
First of all, I wanna say this game isn't bad, it can be enjoyed if you enjoyed games like RA2, or its expansion.
But those games also had bad combats, why?
The entire fights are simply taking groups of units, charging them into the enemy, and hoping for the best.
"Battle Realms does have a few gameplay issues that diminish some of its strategic appeal, as the action can prove to be difficult to manage" Gamespot said.
Well that's just that.
When I play a strategy game, I play it for the battles.
Games like myth, or Starcraft had awesome battles, same for AOE and Empire Earth.
But when the entire battle is just clicking and hoping, you're losing the strategy in RTS.
Also, resources is this game is something very simple, despite what gamespot said.
Water is endless, and rice can be watered forever.

Also, there's a cap on resorces, which is just plain stupid, after you reach the cap, you don't any more then one waterer, and one ricer, so you just spend it all on units, the best one ofcourse.
Unit balance within the clan is lacking, everybody usually just build the highest ranking unit (by training a peasent in all the facilities), and it's hardly expensive either!
now I ain't saying FX aren't important, but they shouldn't, EVER, be important then gameplay.
X-com1, or starcraft, games with nice graphics, but unbelievable strategic apeal.
A few more complaints.
A. For some reason, the entire map is revealed (tough fogged), so instead of going to places you haven't been, you gotta check the entire freakin' map, because you have theoritticly been anywhere.
B. There is no zoom, no spin, nothing of any graphical manuevering you can do, Why? beats me.
C. Peasents are very suicidal, instead of running as they should, they charge head on into the army.
D. Ranged units are nearly useless, as when approached, they must use their bow/crossbow/whatever in order to melee, and let me tell you, they always get approached.
E. You can only build on flat terrain, there is no flatning like normal RTS. So your buildings are spread thin, and defensive towers are limited at that.
F. I remember being said, that yin/yang points are to be given according to good/bad acts, but it's given according to kills in battle.

Biggest Turnoffs: No unit formations; controlling units while on the attack is cumbersome at best; no hard numbers for units; no group command buttons; no random maps and no map editor.Multiplayer really only playable via broadband connections; a few lockup problems with GeForce cards; Alt-Tab crashes the game (A patch was released that fixes this).

To summirize, This game coulda been great, if the combat was just a bit more focused and less chaotic.
I guess I just want to micromanage.
It's usually frowned upon, But how automatic can the game get!
I felt like I was watching my units fights more then I ordered them to.

If you really want an RTS. With a literaly gigantic community I would go for Empire Earth. There are thousands of players online and the game has 300 units in total. 200 mp and 100 specially for single player. It spans 500,000 years too which is 14 ages. You can choose which ages to play or you can play all of them! From Prehistory to the future. ...

"The world is alive"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: October 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Hello, I am yet another very lucky beta tester. As soon as you enter the game you feel as if the world is alive. Horses run in fear as your units approach them, birds float around, and frogs hop along around streams, ponds, and rivers. The fluidity of everything is overwhelming. Your soldiers do many different attacks that link together so they never stop. The unit acknowledgements are very amusing at the least. Everything is just so different between each clan. The new system of training units into higher 'tiers' is no less than unique. The 'particle effects' are the coolest thing about some of the units. By far the best feature about this game is the 'battle-gear.' Battle Gear is special equipment that units use and have a dramatic affect on their effectiveness against other units and buildings. The second this game is in stores i'll be at home playing it.

Innovative RTS, a rarity nowadays...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: September 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Currently beta testing the game, and it's already great. It takes the base qualities of an RTS game and adds a completely new training and upgrading system that work together perfectly. Definately worth buying.

A great alternative to Warcraft

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Okay, so you like Warcraft. No wait, you love Warcraft. You just can't help but smile with glee as you see your initial group of little peons turn into a massive army. You are a pro at these Real Time Strategy (RTS) games. You know all the strategies. If that is so, this is game worth looking, especially at the low prices selling nowadays.

If you are not a real big fan of this genre, like me, it's still worth looking at considering the price. I highly recommend you download the demo (it's out there somewhere). It has the tutorial, so you don't really need the manual, and it has some skirmishes so you can see if you're really into this. Try it out.

I thoroughly enjoyed this game, even though I think it's fairly difficult for me. I don't have the fast clicking fingers and the fast acting brain that some of the my friends have. The idea is that you choose among 4 different clans, each having it's unique units and heros. There are a lot of oriental themes here, like geisha's, monks, and samurai's. So it's a welcome change from the fantasy-style RTS. But like any other RTS game, the premises is still the same - to survive while wiping out your opponents.

All the well-known tactics in RTS will work in this game, so if you're a pro, you'll excel in the skirmishes. You can do the infamous "rush" (very early rush attacks to cripple opponents); or the Zerglings-style tactics (Starcrafts players should know this); or the blitzkrieg assault (remember to save the game before doing it). There are many ways to win the game and many different variation to make the game fun.

The computer AI is pretty smart, especially in large maps. It knows how to use decoys, stealth and multi-directional attacks. Graphics is okay, a lot of vibrant colors, but some of the buildings look too alike that I don't know which is which. Character animation is smooth, but battles can be a bit of a frenzy. Too many times I don't know what is going on until it's too late, but that is the nature of RTS. My biggest gripe about the game is that a (strategic) retreat is too hard to pull off. Too many times, the characters have a "battle to the death" mentality (probably following the samurai's honor code). Otherwise, this game is great and a worthy addition in your RTS library.

Outstanding and Innovative

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 14
Date: October 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was one of the lucky people to be selected for the Battle Realms beta, and I must say that this is the most innovative and beautiful RTS I've ever played. Everything you've seen in traditional RTS games - economic management, attacking and defending, even upgrading your units is totally redone and very well executed. If you're an RTS fan, look for Battle Realms [...], I guarantee you'll love it.

Fantastic Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Excellent game, great graphics, great sound affects. I also bought empire earth and have yet to play it because I cannot stop playing this game. In addition its very challenging to stay alive. Its not the type where you build a huge army and just rush in. You need to develop a stradegey or you will get killed.

A near-perfect game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm not a strategy gamer per se -- I enjoy *some* strategy games, but also play games from other genres. So I don't approach this game the same way someone who has mastered Warcraft does.

I like this game for several reasons. First, it isn't difficult to pick up; the training missions teach you how to play the game in a short amount of time. Second, while learning the game is simple, there is plenty of depth and strategy to be found. I like the idea of "unit alchemy", where different units can be trained in other skills and become other units. But training all of your units to the highest attainable type is NOT the way to win -- you must balance your troop types. Third, I like the asian setting and themes (the main menu even displays the 5 elements of traditional chinese medicine and philosophy). Fourth, though challenging, the game is not overly difficult or too easy.

A great game. I wish they'd make a "Battle Realms 2". I have not tried the "Winter Of The Wolf" expansion, but have heard that it was not nearly as good as the original game.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 Next 

Actions