Tomas Sala once again immerses us in a fantastic world thanks to his new proposal, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
I don’t know if you already remember, but one of the first indies that we had in the last generation of consoles was under the wing (pun intended) of the independent developer Thomas Sala. His proposal invited us to fly through the skies as a majestic warbird while we fought against other rival birds. A tradition which has not been forgotten, and which The same author wanted to expand his next work, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles. Although yes, we already warned you that it had little or nothing to do with the game we enjoyed four years ago.
An ocean of possibilities
On this occasion, we descend from the backs of these winged beings to become managers of our empire. Based on an era 50 years later than its original release, In Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, we will have to rebuild civilization… or what little remains of it. To do this, we will have no choice but to search for resources, form alliances with pirates and establish sea routes without them falling on the enemy’s side. An arduous task which is presented here in a completely different way, both in terms of mechanics and rhythm.
The lack of land on which to base our city could be a problem for any other game, but in Tomas Sala’s idea, it becomes more of a virtue. While we try to find stone, wood and iron to expand our domains, we must provide shelter for all the new inhabitants. which are installed in our facilities. In order to properly manage these resources, in addition to buildings, it will be important build walkways and connecting roads to make everything work properly. An idea that changes the concept and type of management to which we are accustomed.
In search of the perfect balance
In Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, more than controlling the resources carried by villagers, we control their flow. It will be necessary to create good communications, improve buildings so that their performance is more efficient and search for new areas rich in raw materials. Understanding this can mean a little wall at first, because it’s something we’re not used to. And the same thing happens with control, something different from what we’ve seen so far.
In the air and on land
The title works on two levels. The creation of new areas is done at screen level. And for this there is no cursor as such, but rather we move from zone to zone. It can be annoying at first to have to select each part sequentially, but since we are working in a completely three-dimensional environment, if we had a standard cursor it would be more complex to select a specific part of the mapping.
At least that’s what Tomas Sala said in recent statements on this subject. Why yes, even if there is a basis and everything is done with the aim of improving the experience, The truth is that it is difficult to move from one building to another.
High-flying strategy
Once the basal part has been mastered, it is time to talk about the aerial part. In Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles we will move with a type of airship that we will use to explore new areas, capture the arrival of foreign fleets and even manage the aerial battles that the eagles will automatically lead. Yes, almost automatically. Everything we see in the first part will be relegated to the third plan.
And that’s something we need to take into account. I already mentioned it in the first paragraph, but I’ll say it again: Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles It’s a very calm game. You have to take the necessary time. Removing sidewalks and structures does not penalize, because The title itself invites you to investigate, recreate, and find the most effective way to thrive. But so much calm can be a problem if you don’t like management titles at this pace.
To taste the colors
Above all, I didn’t find it very funny. I feel like I’m being relegated to the background a bit. As a spectator of everything that happens on the screen. Actually, We can create balconies and new floors for the towers we build, but they are automatically decorated and thickened. There is no control over the decoration we want in our city, even if everything has this minimalist character and is not about redesigning streets or objects. But just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean you won’t like it. It’s a matter of personal taste. It is for this reason that I strongly advise you to try the existing demo of the game before buying it, regardless of the impressions I gave in this analysis.
Rampart: Falconeer Chronicles Conclusion
Tomas Sala continues to enrich the story we saw in Falconeer with a game that has little or nothing to do with it, except for its minimalist graphics section. We are faced with a very particular management title, since we will not control the villagers themselves, but rather the flow of resources that will take place between the buildings. Roads, gateways and sea routes will need to be created for our civilization to prosper.
A fresh and innovative idea, which may not be suitable due to various aspects related to control and the objectives set by the game. Of course, if you like different challenges, without stressing too much along the way, then Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles may be a good option for you.
Rampart: Chronicles of the Falconer
$19.99
Benefits
- Different management game
- calm pace to take it slowly
- Enriches the story seen in Falconeer
The inconvenients
- The type of control is confusing at first
- There is no clear goal system to help you progress
- We are almost always a “passive actor”, without interacting much with the environment.
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