24-Sep-2022
Rise of Prussia is the type of game that attracts its own crowd. You generally don't hear much talk about the slower turn-based strategy games, as their fanbase is simply limited to a specific mindset. That doesn't stop this genre from having a steady following though, and fans of grand turn-based strategies were eagerly anticipating the release of Rise of Prussia, which is focused around the Seven Years' War.
Gameplay
As you can expect from a game of this type, it's played at a very slow and relaxed pace, giving the player enough time to evaluate their situation and make a proper decision. You can choose to control either Frederick II who's fighting on Prussia's side and trying to save it, or join the Austrians and their allies on their quest to destroying Prussia. The game plays differently from both sides, and the storyline is developed realistically and in accordance with real-life events.
There's a good number of missions available, and the difficulty progresses smoothly – a common problem with this type of games is that the difficulty level tends to go up too steeply too fast, and players eventually find themselves lost against a series of objectives they have no way of completing. Rise of Prussia, on the other hand, provides you with sufficient aid and assistance during the course of your play, that you should very soon feel confident in making your next move even if you're a newbie to the genre.
Graphics and System Requirements
Grand strategy games have never traditionally focused on graphics or eye candy, and Rise of Prussia follows this style for the most part – there's nothing overly flashy about the way the scenes are depicted, and on the contrary everything is simplified, from the interface to the battlefield itself, making the game a very streamlined experience once you get the hang of it.
In accordance with this, the system requirements aren't that high either, and even gamers with slower computers should be able to enjoy Rise of Prussia in its fullest – take note that it does require a DX9-compliant graphics card though, which is a rather odd decision compared to other turn-based strategy titles that generally aren't that stressful on the graphics processor.
Other
An aspect of Rise of Prussia that's contributed to its success greatly has been the level of customization it allows – you can pick from numerous leaders and customize them with portraits and descriptions, as well as pick from over 300 units to control – the level of diversity Rise of Prussia offers is simply outstanding.
Conclusion
Rise of Prussia is surely not a game for everyone's taste – some may find it too hard, others may see it as too dull – but those who love grand strategy games and know what they're all about should definitely see the huge potential this little gem has.