Legends of Kingdom Rush Review

Game: Legends of Kingdom Rush
Genre: Adventure, RPG, Strategy
System: Steam (Windows & Linux) (also on iOS)
Developer|Publisher: Ironhide Game Studio
Controller Support: No
Price: UK £11.39 | US $14.99 | EU € 12,49
Release Date: July 14th, 2022

Review code provided with many thanks to Press Engine.

A New Direction

Legends of Kingdom Rush is a turn-based RPG which takes the Kingdom Rush series in a totally different direction from its more familiar tower defence design. I’ll be honest I have never got into this series before which is surprising as I soon discovered there are four other games available on PC, Nintendo Switch and mobile. You can check our reviews of Kingdom Rush, Kingdom Rush Origins and Kingdom Rush Frontiers. 

But after spending some time with this title the developers certainly made a fan out of me. If you like your turn based RPGs more bite-sized with plenty of incentive to replay then Legends of Kingdom Rush is well worth your attention. 

A Roll of the Dice

When you begin the game you are introduced to the game’s controls and mechanics through a handy opening chapter. Keeping things short and to the point and leaving little room for faff, the game takes you through its battle system and RPG mechanics without weighing you down with too much text. When you enter a chapter it presents you with a short comic book style cutscene which introduces you to the big bad of the area such as a big evil orc. If you are familiar with the Kingdom Rush series you will probably recognize characters but if you’re oblivious to the lore, like me, it’s still pretty easy to follow. From there you’re placed on the level map and left to make your way to the main objective.

Roll the Dice

As you set off in a direction the game will often pause to offer some Dungeons and Dragons (D n D) decisions. For example, cutting your way through some spiky thorns to reach the next area. You then roll a dice to determine your success but if you have an appropriate item you can bypass the risk entirely. Certain characters in your party may be better equipped at sceneries than others, giving you an extra dice roll to improve your chances. These random events are generally fun but sometimes you have a run and the odds are just not in your favour and it can come across as just a bit too punishing.

Shops to Upgrade your Wares

You will also stop at shops to upgrade your wares and purchase items. You may bump into a new ally to recruit to your party. These party members and additional main heroes can be unlocked to use in future runs to form your ultimate fantasy team. There are multiple paths to the chapter goal giving plenty of choices and even replay-ability when you return later. And it’s very likely you will return again as this game gets hard pretty fast. The main event of the campaign of course is the turn-based battles. 

To Battle

The battle system is set on a hex based grid. The goal is simply to eliminate all of the enemies in the area. But how you go about doing that is up to you. You have a band of plucky heroes beginning the game with a warrior, mage and archer. Each has their own set of moves and abilities, as well as specific strengths and weaknesses in the field. The warrior can take more damage but can’t move far and the mage and archer are good for ranged attacks but are significantly weaker.

Controls for the game really only require the mouse, making this easy to pick up and slay for most players. When it’s your turn simply select where to move them to a position and attack if you can. If you survive each battle you can accumulate some cash and blue orbs which will allow you to promote a character and unlock a new move. If all party members fall, the game is over and you will need to restart from the beginning of the chapter again. But your characters will accumulate some experience points making them potentially stronger when you take on the game for a second time. 

Comical Style

Graphics have that comical feel to them from the heroes to the enemies all wrapped up in a familiar fantasy setting. It does have that mobile feel to the game’s UI. There were plenty of moments where I almost felt I could just reach my hand out and touch where I wanted my team to go on my computer screen. The game is not afraid to poke at the odd joke during battle and I have to say it suits the tone quite well. 

The main campaign offers two difficulty settings, though even in the casual setting don’t expect a total cakewalk. As well as the campaign, the game offers daily challenges enabling you to make your mark on the online leaderboards if you fancy. There are also achievements to unlock if people are still into those. You can also jump into the quick play arena where you can select your party and jump straight into a battle with no frills.

If you need to step away from the campaign the game does save all your progress when you exit, making it appealing even if you don’t have a lot of gaming time on your hands or whether need to check if your now crawling baby has not got stuck under the sofa. The game may have a mobile feel but it’s still entertaining to play on PC. Also, this version contains no microtransactions which is always a plus.

Conclusion – No Need to Rush

Legends of Kingdom Rush is a pretty great pick up and play turn-based RPG. It certainly suits the phrase of easy to pick up but tricky to master. Even though failure came frequently, I had a lot of fun replaying missions and altering my tactics and making different decisions on the next attempt. I didn’t feel there was anything groundbreaking about the formula here but all the cogs and gears to the mechanics just worked well. If you’re not the biggest fan of tower defense games then this might be the title that gets you into the series. Or if you’re new to the series this is not a bad place to start. Legends of Kingdom Rush is possibly the most legendary entry in the series. 

If you want to try the game for yourself be sure to check out the free demo on Steam.

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot