Take back the throne
Fantasy fans aren't exactly short of classic games to play, with titles as varied as King's Bounty and Elder Scrolls floating about and readily available. Ascension to the Throne is another similarly themed title to attract the unwary but unfortunately, it's very much a middling affair that is perhaps only really of interest to the most dedicated wizards and orcs follower. This one blends RPG elements with those of turn-based strategy but doesn't quite pull it together well enough to succeed. The simple and not overly original storyline finds you in control of a king who was betrayed by his chief wizard and who now faces an uphill struggle to regain his kingdom. The main gameplay is familiar third-person RPG stuff, where you wander around, talking to the locals, picking up quests, killing monsters and looting treasure so you can hire mercenaries. Combat plays out in turn-based fashion, where you select your troops, including plot-related characters, and then issue orders each turn until one side or the other is defeated. Other RPG elements include the option to upgrade units in a variety of categories. If all this sounds familiar stuff, then that's for a good reason as there's not really anything here that hasn't been seen elsewhere and generally done better. There's nothing overly wrong with the game but there's nothing very memorable either and it all consists of wandering around pretty but lackluster environments doing the same old things you've done in a million other fantasy games. Ultimately, a game that is easily missed.
