| Crown Wars: The Black Prince | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Artefacts Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Nacon |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Turn-based tactics, tactical role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Crown Wars: The Black Prince is a 2024 turn-based tactics video game developed by Artefacts Studio and published by Nacon. Players battle a cult that is attempting to use the Hundred Years' War for its own purposes.
During the Hundred Years' War, a secret society uses black magic to influence the conflict. Players control a French noble who attempts to stop the cultists. [1] Besides the cultists, there are five other factions: the French, lead by Charles V of France; the English, led by Edward III of England and commanded by Edward the Black Prince; the Bretons, who are divided between French and English supporters; the Navarrese, led by Charles II of Navarre; and the Castilians, who use prototypes of firearms but face civil war. [2]
Players must build up their forces, train them, and send them out in turn-based and tactical battles. [1] Weapon types can have unique properties. For example, characters attacking with halberds can strike multiple opponents, and characters can bypass armor when attacking with a longsword. There are six character classes, and recruited characters can be customized through skill trees. Players can upgrade their castle in a strategic layer similar to XCOM . [3] Quests and the campaign are procedurally generated and have time limits. Players must take into consideration how long missions will stay available when sending their squads on the map. Some characters may also not be available, as they heal from their injuries. [4]
Developer Artefacts Studio is based in France. [5] Nacon released Crown Wars: The Black Prince for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on May 23, 2024. The Switch version is planned for release in December 2024. [6]
On Metacritic, Crown Wars: The Black Prince received mixed reviews on all platforms. [7] After playing a review in January 2022, TechRadar criticized the voice acting, keybinding, and limited number of animations. However, they enjoyed the strategic elements and praised the premise, which they said was a solid base. [3] Digitally Downloaded felt that Crown Wars mostly ignored the Hundred Years' War and instead was a generic XCOM clone with a medieval skin. They said they eventually felt exhausted by the long quests, and they failed to connect to the game itself in part because of what they said was poor voice acting. [8] GamingBolt called the gameplay "a lot of fun" but felt it is let down by a poor story and bad voice acting. [9]
Tactical role-playing games, also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as simulation RPGs, are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical strategy video games. The formats of tactical RPGs are much like traditional tabletop role-playing games and strategy games in appearance, pacing, and rule structure. Likewise, early tabletop role-playing games are descended from skirmish wargames such as Chainmail, which were primarily concerned with combat.
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a 2013 tactical third-person shooter video game. It was developed by 2K Marin and published by 2K. As the eighth title in the turn-based strategy series X-COM and a narrative prequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the game was released for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in August 2013. Set in late 1962 at the height of the Cold War, the game's premise mainly revolves around The Bureau, the predecessor of the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit (XCOM), as they attempt to repel an alien invasion. As a tactical shooter, players can use the battle focus mode to issue commands to two other agents accompanying the protagonist, William Carter. Players can permanently lose their squad members so they must make good tactical decisions.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a 2012 turn-based tactics video game that was developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. It presents a "reimagined" version of the 1994 strategy game X-COM: UFO Defense—also known as XCOM: Enemy Unknown. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is set during an alien invasion of Earth in an alternative version of 2015; the player controls an elite, multinational, paramilitary organization called XCOM and commands troops in a series of turn-based tactical missions. Between missions, the player directs the research and development of technologies from recovered alien technology and captured prisoners, expands XCOM's base of operations, manages finances, and monitors and responds to alien activity.
Ragnarok Tactics is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation Portable. It is a spin-off to Ragnarok Online. The game was released in North America on November 6, 2012, making it one of the last releases for the platform in the region. Reception for the game was mixed, with critics citing that the gameplay and presentation was solid, but not revolutionary.
XCOM: Enemy Within is an expansion pack for the turn-based tactical video game XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The expansion pack primarily adds new gameplay elements to the base game, as well as introducing new themes of transhumanism via aggressive gene therapy.
XCOM 2 is a 2016 turn-based tactics video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. It is the sequel to 2012's reboot of the series, XCOM: Enemy Unknown; it takes place 20 years after the events of Enemy Unknown. XCOM, a military organization trying to fight off an alien invasion, has lost the war and is now a resistance force against the occupation of Earth and the established totalitarian regime and military dictatorship. Gameplay is split between turn-based combat in which players command a squad of soldiers to fight enemies, and strategy elements in which players manage and control the operations of the Avenger, an alien ship that is used as a mobile base for XCOM.
Nacon is a French video game publisher, holdings company and gaming peripherals manufacturer based in Lesquin. It designs and distributes gaming accessories, and publishes and distributes video games for various platforms. In 2020, Bigben Group was consolidated to form Nacon.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is a 2021 action role-playing game developed by Cyanide and published by Nacon. The game is based on White Wolf Publishing's tabletop role-playing game Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and is part of the larger World of Darkness series. The story follows Cahal, an eco-terrorist werewolf who has been banished from his werewolf tribe, and who fights against the Pentex corporation and the pollution it causes. The player, as Cahal, traverses areas in the American Northwest, and can shapeshift into a wolf, human or werewolf form to perform various tasks, such as exploration, conversation and combat.
XCOM: Chimera Squad is a turn-based tactical video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K as part of the XCOM series. It is set as a sequel to XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, after a tenuous peace accord between warring human and alien forces has been achieved. The player controls a mixed squad of human and alien special forces soldiers that help maintain the fragile peace of City 31, an experimental city where humans and aliens are attempting cohabitation. While Chimera Squad follows similar tactical elements of the XCOM series, it introduces new gameplay concepts to accelerate the pace of gameplay.
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Auroch Digital and published by Ripstone Games. It is an adaptation of Modiphius Entertainment's Achtung! Cthulhu tabletop game.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister is a role-playing video game developed by Tactical Adventures and released in 2021. It is based on the 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons rules, which it uses via the System Reference Document.
Expeditions: Viking is a squad-based tactical role-playing game developed by Logic Artists and released for Windows on April 27, 2017. The player takes the role of a Danish viking leading an expedition to Great Britain circa 790 AD. It is the second game in the Expeditions series, a sequel to Expeditions: Conquistador. The third game in the series, Expeditions: Rome, was released in 2022.
Miasma Chronicles is a tactical role playing video game developed by The Bearded Ladies and published by 505 Games in 2023. It is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States and blends turn-based tactics with stealth game mechanics.
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is a tactical role playing video game developed by 6 Eyes Studio and published in 2019 by 1C Entertainment.
Pascal's Wager is a Soulslike action role-playing video game developed by TipsWorks and published by Giant Network and Yooreka Studio.
Arkham Horror: Mother's Embrace is a digital adaptation of the board game Arkham Horror developed by Artefacts Studio and published by Asmodee Digital. It combines gameplay from adventure games and tactical role-playing games.
The Iron Oath is a 2023 tactical role-playing video game developed by Curious Panda Games and published by Humble Games. Players manage a mercenary company, complete quests, engage in turn-based combat, and can optionally follow a revenge-themed main story. It entered early access in 2022 and is available for Windows and macOS.
Lost Eidolons is a 2022 tactical role-playing game developed and published by South Korean game developer Ocean Drive Studio. Gameplay involves the player character, Eden, controlling a group of mercenaries through a series of turn-based tactical battles to overthrow a kingdom's emperor.
Headquarters: World War II is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Starni Games and published by Slitherine Software. Players control one of the forces during the Battle of Normandy and fight tactical battles.
Tactical Breach Wizards is a 2024 turn-based tactics video game by Suspicious Developments. Players control a team of wizards who fight against a theocracy. The missions are humorous and involve espionage thriller elements. It is available for Windows and became a best-seller on Steam on release.