Old World - Buyer's Guide

Old World is an immersive historical strategy game that lets players guide their empire through several generations, leaving behind a lasting legacy. Set in a time of iconic leaders, you have the opportunity to be remembered as a respected or feared ruler. Politics and family dynamics play a significant role in the game, where marriage alliances and nurturing of heirs become critical. Each of the seven kingdoms in the game houses four noble families that provide specific benefits when overseeing your cities. Maintaining good relationships with these families through various events, actions, and marriages is essential. Be warned, however, that displeasing them or giving them too much power could lead to their wrath.

The game boasts a variety of characters, each with unique personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. Recruiting famous warriors, philosophers, and builders can help you strengthen your kingdom, defend your territories, and build connections with other leaders. The characters evolve over time, gaining new traits and personalities, and eventually passing away, making room for the next generation.

The world of Old World is teeming with unsettled tribes, barbarian marauders, and remnants of ancient cultures. Players can discover artifacts and legendary heroes at ruins scattered across the map. The game features over 3,000 unique events inspired by history and mythology. Interaction with foreign dignitaries can trigger event chains, stories, and courtroom drama.

Old World offers a fresh perspective on the 4X strategy genre. It introduces new concepts like shared resources across your realm and randomized technology trees. The game also provides quality of life improvements, like the ability to undo commands and nested tooltips. Multiplayer modes and a Grammy-nominated soundtrack add to the game’s appeal. Finally, the game’s modding capabilities open up infinite possibilities for new worlds, empires, and dynasties, inspired by both reality and fiction.

Should I play Old World in 2024?

The good

• Unique Fusion of Genres: Old World brilliantly merges elements of Civilization with Crusader Kings, creating a strategy game that feels familiar yet refreshingly unique.
• Engaging Gameplay: People love the unit and technology management, random events, and the emphasis on a single historical era, which keeps the game from becoming repetitive.
• Depth and Replayability: The game’s systems like city management, court politics, and resource production add immense depth. Reviewers have spent hundreds of hours and still find new challenges.
• Historical Setting: Focusing on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilizations elevates the game by avoiding the anachronisms typical in other 4X games.
• Ongoing Development: Continuous updates and new content from the developers keep the game fresh and engaging.

The bad

• Late-Game Slog: Several users pointed out that managing a large number of cities, units, and workers can become tedious and time-consuming.
• Limited Scope: The focus on a single age with limited civilizations might feel restrictive to some players.
• Random Leader Deaths: Unpredictable leader deaths can be frustrating and derail long-term strategies.
• Optimization Issues: Some performance issues and poor optimization have been reported.

Verdict

Should you play Old World in 2024? Absolutely! 🏛️ If you’re a fan of strategy games and have found yourself yearning for something that blends the strategic depth of Civilization with the dynastic intrigue of Crusader Kings, Old World is your game. Its unique mechanics and historical setting offer a fresh take on the genre, keeping gameplay engaging and replayable. While it has its quirks, such as a potentially lengthy late-game and some performance hiccups, the positives far outweigh the negatives. With ongoing support from developers, this game is only set to improve. Dive into the Old World; you won’t regret it! 🎮✨