Leya tested Tiger Knight: Empire War for you and shares her first impressions of the real-time war game here.
Tiger Knight: Empire War is a warfare MMO that allows you to reenact grand war stories from 300 years BC. 300 years BC, there were no tanks and machine guns, so your equipment consists only of historical weapons, armor, and horses. Tiger Knight brings you back to the time of brutal melee wars on the battlefield. It is one of the new mass battle MMOs that are trending in Asia right now.
You can take on the role of a general belonging to a mighty empire. At the moment, you can choose between three Chinese armies that are based on the era known as “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”: Shu, Wei, and Wu. The scenario is also known from the Dynasty Warriors series.
Tiger Knight will later include “Western history”: The Roman Empire, the Kushan Empire, and the Parthian Empire are in development. As a general, you command entire armies in real-time to win whole wars. Tiger Knight is available for PC and is still in Early Access. Not all planned features are unlocked yet. Here and there are some performance and server issues.
Tiger Knight feels authentic as a war game
Inspired by a video, in which the developers of Tiger Knight presented a mechanical VR horse, I downloaded and played the free-to-play wargame. I quickly realized that a few hours wouldn’t be enough to fully understand Tiger Knight in all its complexity.
Already in the tutorial, I notice that the war game feels authentic and I really feel transported back to an old era. The game also features an Eastern soundtrack that helps me settle into my new role as the general of an ancient dynasty. In the tutorial, you learn how to control your character, fight against individual targets, and directly against entire armies.
Here I learn how to handle spear, bow and arrow, and horse. After the tutorial, I am quite taken, it is indeed fun to charge into the enemies with my horse and hack away at the enemy armies as hard as I can.
Light pay-to-win feelings in the tutorial
The tutorial then leads directly to the online shop, and I become a little skeptical here. You cannot complete the tutorial without having purchased something in the shop. You don’t use real money here, but receive starting credits. The shop is an important part of Tiger Knight, as this is where you upgrade your army and character. For that, you need experience points and credits.
Credits can be earned by playing or claiming certain bonuses. For example, you receive a bonus for logging into the game or staying logged in for a particularly long time. These are already a few points that deter me a bit.
In the video below by YouTuber DrProof, you get a good insight into the shop system and the basics of battles and gameplay. He also explains more about the historical background and gameplay of Tiger Knight. You not only control your own hero but also direct your troops in battle – a mix of the strategy games from the Total War series with action like in “Dynasty Warriors” or the upcoming For Honor.
Tiger Knight – How the action-strategy MMO plays
Objective of the matches: You have to eliminate the general of the opposing army to win the match. With so many characters in the game, it can get a bit chaotic. However, with the mini-map, you have the opportunity to keep everything in view. It shows where your teammates are located and where the enemies are.
These “warfare” MMOs, which combine strategy and action elements, are currently on the rise. Besides Tiger Knight, Kingdom Under Fire II and War Rage are in development in Asia. The western “For Honor” by Ubisoft also goes in this direction.
Tiger Knight: Game Modes
Tiger Knight can be played in three game modes: Command Mode, Duel Mode, and Epic War.
- Command Mode: PVP mode – with soldiers
10-14 players from all camps can each command an aide and 40 soldiers to defeat the enemy armies. This mode supports a 200V200 fight and includes two sub-modes: Conquest and Siege
- Duel Mode: PK between two generals – without soldiers
Players enter this battle without their soldiers. This mode supports 16V16 combat. Players can fight individually or in teams. Each round here lasts about 15 minutes.
- Epic War: Cooperation between teams – PVE mode
Players fight together against the AI. The special feature: You recreate famous battles from the time of the Three Kingdoms. The difficulty is divided into: easy, normal, and hard.
Tiger Knight: Empire War stands out for its authenticity and scores points there. It really gave me the feeling of being amidst the Three Kingdoms and being a general in the battles of Asia. The musical accompaniment also caught my attention positively and set the right mood. I remain skeptical about the shop system. However, since I haven’t tested Tiger Knight thoroughly enough yet, I don’t want to make a clear statement on whether pay-to-win elements spoil the fun. In any case, you can earn the necessary credits for upgrades in the game.
It is fun to charge into battle with a complete army and command this army tactically. Those who are into war themes in ancient dynasties and are okay with being responsible for a complete army and not just their own character on the battlefield should definitely try Tiger Knight: Empire War.
That was my first impression of Tiger Knight. Will you test it soon, or have you already jumped into battle yourself? Let me know in the comments what your impressions of this war game are.
