Title: Praetorians HD Remaster
Developer: Torus Games, Pyro Studios
Publisher: Kalypso Media
Genre: Strategy
Price: $19.99
Quite a few players remember Pyro Studio's Praetorians fondly despite its flaws. Released on the personal computer back in 2003, it is best known for its captivating depictions of Romans fighting against barbarian hordes of old. Which, in a nutshell, is why Praetorians HD Remaster is being greeted with anticipation by those who have a history with the original. Like finding an old friend after years of being apart, Millennials see it as a way for them to reconnect with their childhood, albeit with a fresh coat of paint courtesy of Kalypso Media.
In Praetorians HD Remaster, players get to choose one of three ancient cultures and lead them into victory. They get to take over villages, conscript units, high more elite troops, and prove themselves to be the dominant commanders of the era. En route, this means mastering the game's combat system, which, at its heart, is akin to a tactical game of rock-paper-scissors. Archers are strong from afar, capable of peppering spearmen down, but close combat or cavalry can bring them down fast. Spearmen are more defensive units, capable for bringing down the cavalry, but are no match against heavier, stronger infantry; these heavy infantry are efficient, capable of throwing pilums or axes before combat, but have their own drawbacks in being hard to recruit. It's a simple but effective concept, one that even newcomers to the genre will be able to grasp.
Beyond basic units, Praetorians HD Remaster employs uncomplicated progression principles. Victory in combat generates honor points, which can then be used to recruit higher-tier units that can fill out army rosters and counter opponent compositions. At the same time, however, these higher-tier units come at a cost, requiring control of a village, villagers to conscript, and more time to muster them to battle.
On the flipside, Praeorians HD Remaster shows its age. Compared to titles which have significantly revised gameplay in the genre (Creative Assembly's Total War is an example), it has not stood the test of time well. While its concepts stand firm, their implementation leaves much to be desired. And taken with uneven quality-of-life features, the clunky interface offsets the improved graphics.
To be sure, Praetorians HD Remaster is exactly what its name promises to be: an improved version of a cult classic. It upscales the video resolution and does little else beyond presenting the original experience as it was back then. Longtime fans of the game will no doubt enjoy the chance to play it anew, buoyed by fond memories. For the new generation of gamers, though, it figures to be wanting.
True, Praetorians HD Remaster does look better than it did before. True, it does run smoothly. And, true, it boasts of a fairly lengthy campaign mode alongside an assortment of skirmish maps. On the other hand, it may well find itself failing to assuage a hitherto untapped segment of players not likely to tolerate its clunky controls. Which is to say it should be a hit for some and a miss for others.
THE GOOD
- An improved version of the original Praetorians, with upscaled graphics
- Fair amount of content in its campaign and skirmish modes
- Gameplay depth
THE BAD
- Clunky controls
- Slow paced
- No gameplay improvements
RATING: 7/10
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