Ubisoft sends the new Auto-Battler Might & Magic: Chess Royale into the race for what is currently extremely popular. However, instead of relying exclusively on proven food, the game should lure with unique aspects. Which Auto Battler has games for up to 100 players to offer?
With Might & Magic: Chess Royale, Ubisoft mixes two young genres that could be described as the most popular upstarts in recent years: Firstly, the Battle Royale shooters such as PUBG, Fortnite and Apex Legends, in which numerous players compete against each other on a map until there is only one left. And on the other hand the so-called Auto Battler (or Auto Chess) such as Dota Underlords or Teamfight Tactics, which have seen rapid growth, especially in the past few months, and which involve tactical decisions and ongoing battles. By combining both recipes for success, Might & Magic: Chess Royale brings the best of two worlds under one roof. An ambitious goal, but is it going well?
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The gameplay does not differ fundamentally from other representatives of the auto-battler genre: several players compete against each other on a checkerboard-like field. The fights are basically automatic. Once a battle has started, you can only watch. The only way to influence the course is before the actual skirmish. You buy, sell, and trade new units, tactically place them on the battlefield, and hope that the fight goes in your favor. The loser of a game is eliminated, the winner moves on to the next round and has to compete against the next opponent.
Might & Magic: Chess Royale also adheres to this principle, but also offers some special features. One of them is that up to 100 players can take part in a game – roughly as many as in a typical Battle Royale shooter. To prevail against so many opponents is a very special attraction. The game also has a very pleasant learning curve. The tutorials, which should introduce you to the action, are quite short and might be more detailed, but you will make the most progress anyway according to the principle of "learning by doing".
At the beginning of a new 100 skirmish, you only have access to very simple units such as soldiers or similar croup stuff in the shop, which does not convince with great values and outstanding capabilities. But the more rounds you survive, the better units you can recruit and the more effective synergies can be used. Since you always have a short time limit on your neck during the recruitment phase, there is sometimes a feeling of hectic pace. This may scare off some beginners at first, but it wears off as the playing time increases.
Fast action and real highlights
As with many other auto-battlers, the attraction of Might & Magic: Chess Royale comes primarily from the short and crisp games. Ubisoft initially estimated it to be about ten minutes on average, but in practice most of the games are shorter – ideal for a short break and a game in between.
But although Chess Royale brings some minor peculiarities with it, the salient highlights are missing. The enormously high number of players of 100 is hardly noticeable and should only give Harcore players an incentive to stay tuned. In addition, despite the famous Might & Magic brand, neither the battlefields nor the units have a unique selling proposition that should knock the experienced Auto Battler fan off their feet.
With Might & Magic: Chess Royale, Ubisoft is now also devoting itself to the automotive genre.
Graphically, Might & Magic: Chess Royale makes a decent impression on the PC, although it seems that it was developed with a mobile release in mind. Some texture looks a bit pale and some of the effects could have used a little more fine-tuning. Nevertheless, the fights look quite manner. Smaller blunders, such as explanatory texts that go beyond the edge of the screen and are therefore only partially or, in the worst case, not readable at all, still cloud the overall picture, as do some bugs and freezes that we encountered in our test games. Furthermore, the developers should definitely screw on the balancing of the units again. Some still turn out to be overly strong.
