After the last test, a new part of the The Settlers series is not expected, as it turns out that it is not very popular with the community. So what to achieve now? Theoretically, a worthy alternative for you could be the building strategy Against the Storm, which is now entering early access, and we will talk about it in more detail in the following paragraphs.
Platform: PC (verified version)
Publication date: 01/11/2022
Developer: hermit games
Publisher: Hooded horse
Genre: Building strategy
Czech localization: Not
Multiplayer: Not
Data to download: 5 GB
Price: 450 CZK (PC)
The forest realm brings you the classic concept in Against the Storm.
The fantasy kingdom wants to expand, so it sends colonists to the neighboring forest, which poses various threats to them. The core idea of the gameplay does not deviate from the traditional path that came with, for example, The Settlers series. We have base building combined with resource gathering and staff survival, which is a classic you’ve become so accustomed to over the years that it’s very easy to incorporate into gameplay.
Another layer of gameplay in meeting the needs of the population is which fantasy race they belong to. Some need more pies to fill up, while others prefer beer to boost their morale. Each species has different needs. Therefore, it offers you various benefits. People are efficient farmers, for whom the fields are the ideal place to realize their potential. Beavers are excellent foresters who are not afraid to literally gnaw their way through the forest. Well, lizards love meat, so this is the best choice if you want to have efficient hunters.
Nature does not like invasive species
At its core, Against the Storm is one of a series of building games. However, as the previous lines show, the forest plays an important role here, making the whole different from the competition that takes you into the open countryside or wastelands. Forest cover is almost everywhere around you. Trees are pressing on you from the very beginning, and your task is to slowly cut through them and open up clearings. They were abandoned by the original population before the forest spirits banished them or completely banished them from the world with the help of magic.
You must face them too. And it’s the way it works with environments that makes Against the Storm different from games where you deal with things like wild weather, seasons, or disease. Here you have to face both adverse effects and nature. If you mistreat the forest, it can become your nemesis, destroying populations and even buildings. However, nothing is ruled out to play around with the environment and try to find a compromise. But finding one is really tricky and often depends on what kind of buildings you build during your construction journey. Therefore, not a single passage here is similar to the previous one.
Another notable difference is the fact that the game allows you to build the cities you leave as time passes and gives you the option to build more. In fact, you are going through development within the entire kingdom, and not just one city. It is always just part of one of several colonization expeditions that have a different nature depending on the difficulty you choose, who you take with you and, above all, what raw materials you go into battle with. As such, each playthrough is unique, both in terms of major choices and subsequent exploration, as the world of Against the Storm is truly unpredictable.
When the forest is cut, the chips fly
The basic optimization here is pretty good. Most of the time, the game saves images, so the movement of the population can be fully enjoyed both from a greater distance, and even if you decide to view their actions up close. The controls are accessible and the UI handling, which I was happy with, can’t be described as confusing.
I would like to end this passage by saying that Against the Storm does not suffer from any major problems, because I like it very much in every way. Unfortunately, the unit does not work quite stably, at least in the first hours. Although the game looks simple at first glance, it can crash in certain situations no matter what car you have. As a result, the main problem is that it doesn’t offer you any form of reporting what actually caused the crash. To be honest, I was a little sad because I did not expect too many ups and downs with such a work.
At the end of its journey, Against the Storm will become an alternative to the old The Settlers.
Game crashes are a problem that Against the Storm can fix by keeping the game stable by shutting it down. However, this is not the smoothest path, I certainly do not deny this. However, I have to give credit to the creators for how they managed to develop the basic concept of their work. The Dark Forest Realm is the perfect place for a construction colony. Racing with different needs and desires feels fresh. Unexplored corners can be terrifying, and the random assignment of building plans adds a decent degree of replay value, which is a big plus. History also has its own qualities that show that a worthy backdrop can be built, the question is how the creators will be able to develop it in the future.
Personally, I would recommend buying Against the Storm now to all fans of old building strategies who miss the previous installments of The Settlers series or just want a game that offers them graphics that evoke the iconic Warcraft. Theoretically, this work could be something for the ranks of Settlers fans that Ubisoft will never be able to fully offer them in their production projects. The main thing will probably be how skillfully the creators manage to get through the preliminary approach, which is often the scourge of independent authors.
Source :Indian TV
