Been meaning to post my thoughts on this one for a (very) long time now...
The short version is that while I *want* to like the Master of Magic remake, I just can't get into it. And a comment someone made over on the Explorminate Discord helped me realize why: they called it "mundane".
And they're right. By far, the biggest reason I keep bouncing of the Master of Magic remake (much as I hate admitting it) is that it feels very...basic. Vanilla. Bog-standard. Almost banal.
It looks and sounds good, yes, and even the general gameplay is fine as far as it goes. However, there isn't much *to* that gameplay loop; it's all conquest-based, and about "painting the map" -- even more so than most 4x/GS titles. It feels like I'm playing a relatively bare-bones 4x from a generation ago...which I suppose it is, really. I can understand how it might have indeed been a masterpiece when it came out, and I can even vaguely see why so many folks still enjoy it (both the original and the remake); but personally, I don't find it holds up that well next to most current games in the genre, or even entries from 15-20 years ago.
I realize this was deliberate, as Slitherine wanted as close to a straight remake of the original game as possible. And to be fair, that was almost certainly the right decision on balance, all things considered: A more conservative approach was probably the only real option, especially with 2016's Master of Orion game -- which was a significant departure from all three previous entries -- serving as an object lesson of how *not* to revive a franchise.
But for someone like me, who has become accustomed to 4x/grand-strategy games with multiple victory conditions, multiple ways to play, etc. -- and just as pertinently, someone who never played the original MoM back in the day -- it makes it very difficult to enjoy the remake. I hate saying that, because it's obvious the love & care that the folks at Muha have put into the game. I wish I liked it better than I do. As it currently stands, however, I think I have to accept that, if nothing else, I may not be MoM's target audience.
I sincerely hope that changes at some point. The game has good bones, and as I said earlier, the developers clearly care about the material and have put a lot thought & care into over the past few years. (Indeed, they themselves have stated they've wanted to do more with MoM, but that Slitherine kept a tight rein on the design scope. Fingers crossed that perhaps their overlords eventually relax the strings a bit.) For the time being, however, it's my regretful conclusion that the game probably isn't my cup of tea after all.
Topic: Master of Magic remake (Read 34137 times)