The first trailer for the upcoming Steam game Kingmakers has already achieved over 17 million views on X. But what is behind the hype? The developers shared more about their ambitious game in an interview.
What game is it about? Kingmakers is a new game from the developer Redemption Road. A few weeks ago, the first trailer for this strange genre mix was released. At first, the initial images gave the impression that this was a classic RTS game with a historical setting.
However, the impression changes immediately when a truck with a heavily armed futuristic soldier drives into the scene.
Kingmakers begins in the 15th century in Great Britain. The historical backdrop is the Hundred Years’ War. One should probably not expect much historical accuracy beyond that.
After all, players travel from the future to the past to lend a hand to the armies there – or to fight against them. Players choose sides with the English, Welsh, or Scots and support the respective army with modern firearms.
Players have apparently dreamed of such a concept for a long time. The interest online is overwhelming. Alone on X, the trailer has already achieved over 17 million views (as of March 12, 2024).
Battles with up to 4,000 characters
What do the developers plan with the game? The relatively small team of 20 to 25 people has big plans for Kingmakers. This impression was also formed during a conversation the developers had with Digital Foundry on YouTube.
The team wants to create a real next-gen game using the Unreal Engine. This will allow them to portray massive battles with up to 4,000 NPCs at the same time. In the midst of it, players fight alone or with up to three other comrades against the historical armies.
Thanks to modern weapons such as pistols, rifles, or shotguns, players seem to have an advantage over sword and lance fighters at first glance. Nevertheless, according to the developers, the game should not be too easy. When an entire army rushes at you, it can indeed be intimidating.
The second aspect of gameplay, namely castle building, is carried out just like commanding one’s troops from an isometric perspective. However, anxious players cannot just hide in their own castles forever or control the battles from above.
As a soldier from the future, you must take up arms yourself and march into battle: “You will travel back in time and change history,” the developers say.
The concept as well as the impressive presentation with its giant battles could be reasons for the hype. Apparently, many players desire this initially absurd mix of historical settings and modern shooter gameplay.
Asmongold thinks: “This game will change our lives”
What does Asmongold think about the game? The Twitch streamer has also taken a look at Kingmakers and could hardly hide his enthusiasm in a YouTube video. The game looks like a successful genre mix and offers both action and strategy.
According to him, Warcraft 3 managed this very well, even though the two games differ significantly in terms of gameplay. And even though there is no official release date for Kingmakers yet, Asmongold is already dreaming of the various races and historical figures.
For example, he wishes for Hannibal and his elephants to be included in the game. Whether the great general fits into the British scenario remains to be seen. A lot seems possible in Kingmakers.
Asmongold will definitely play Scotland. He is also impressed by the technical ambitions of the developer. The game is set to be released not only on Steam but also on consoles and the Steam Deck.
In all cases, it should run at smooth 60 FPS. The levels are partly handcrafted and partly procedurally generated. However, the animations, hit feedback, and sheer number of NPCs leave Asmongold skeptical about whether everything will run smoothly in the end.
All in all, he concludes: “This game will change our lives.” The game is expected to be released in 2024. By then, we will know more. A German indie hit starts in early access, receiving directly 96% positive reviews on Steam and reaching a milestone.
