Superb fantasy RTS
Fans of real time strategy and fantasy games are sure to love Majesty Gold, combining as it does a well realised and imaginative world with some deep tactical gameplay to create a compelling experience. This Gold edition contains both the original game and the Northern Expansion pack, making it a great package. The basic idea of the game is that you are the ruler of the fantasy realm of Ardania and must defend it against the various dangers which threaten its safety. There is no main storyline to Majesty, but which instead features a series of single player missions (with more added in the expansion pack) as well as a freestyle mode where you can create your own quests. While in many ways Majesty is similar to other RTS games like Command & Conquer, Dawn of War or Starcraft, with resource management, base building, different character classes and other such elements, but instead of controlling your units directly, you instead influence their actions by placing rewards and quests on the things you want done. How your heroes respond to these tasks depends on their classes, with for example, rogues more likely to follow quests involving stealing treasure, and paladins displaying a preference for killing monsters. This element adds a neat twist the genre and really helps to make Majesty stand out. The presentation too lends the game some personality, with a distinct art style, a nice line in humour and an accessible interface and control system that make building your empire a breeze. If you've never played an RTS before, or are hardened genre veteran, there is much to enjoy here, with varied and challenging quests that will keep you entertained for hours. Highly recommended.
