Manor Lords
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Critic Reviews for Manor Lords
Manor Lords is a gorgeous medieval city-builder that kept me occupied for hours building my perfect, cozy hamlets, but it definitely feels very early in its Early Access development.
You can sense the real potential and exceptional quality of Manor Lords, but what's more common is the disappointment of the lack of content. It has a unique medieval atmosphere, a first-person perspective that can immerse players, and a distinctive 'backyard economy' system that combines the fun of building supply chains and managing labour in the production process. While warfare isn't at the heart of Manor Lords, it's done quite well and evokes a sense of familiarity with the Total War series.
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Manor Lords still requires time to develop, especially when building out several of its more intriguing features. Nevertheless, its emphasis on medieval city-building with dashes of combat can prove enjoyable.
Although it is currently in early access, Manor Lords is still likely to be a solid city-builder real-time strategy game. But it isn't the game for you if you're looking for nonstop action. The game's difficulty spikes and its micromanagement might be a common complaint, but that's the nature of real-time strategy games. But these aren't an issue when this genre has the most demanding player base. To satisfy the RTS veterans, Manor Lords still requires a substantial amount of content during its final launch. Otherwise, after 30–50 hours of play, you would forget about the game.
Manor Lords stands as a shining example of the potential within indie game development that puts many triple A projects to shame. Keep in mind that it’s still in Early Access too, meaning the game will only get better from here on out. It’s an experience that respects its roots in history while providing a platform for strategic creativity. I’ve never been so immersed into a game about building cities and commanding troops, but being the lord of my manor allows me to weave my own stories of medieval life.
As a result, Manor Lords has earned its stripes. It may take some more time until Manor Lords reaches its full potential, but even in its current state, it's every bit as detailed, immersive, and fascinating as a strategy game needs to be.
While obtuse in places, Manor Lords is an idiosyncratic, lively and sturdy sim that will keep you curious and delighted with its many intricacies.
There's a confidence to Manor Lords that belies its one-person development, and what's there can be spellbinding, but it's a pastoral idyll that still needs significant development.
