Diablo is one of my favorite videogame series ever. Characterized by complex narratives, jaw-dropping gore, and, of course, a whole lot of hacking and slashing, the world of Sanctuary is one that I happily call home. Yet, in a post-Baldur’s Gate 3 world, I’ve found myself more drawn to strategy games – my recent obsession with Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has affirmed that. So, when I saw Band of Crusaders, which blends the demonic brutality of Diablo with the strategy elements of Age of Empires or Dragon Age: Origins, I was certainly intrigued.
In Band of Crusaders, you’re thrust into 1350s Europe. In our real world, the period is overshadowed by the Hundred Years’ War and, of course, the Black Death (thanks War Studies degree), but in this strategy game‘s twisted universe, you’re fending off demons and devils instead of torrents of rats – save that for Plague Tale.
You’ll command a collection of peasant warriors, who have been abandoned by the Knights Templar and left as fodder for hordes. Using various ‘authentic’ weapons and armor, you’ll travel across Europe helping out the common folk and beating back monstrosities in RTS-style battles.
There appears to be a tactical slomo option, too, as showcased in the trailer above. This allows you to make decisions on the fly, and watch in slow motion as your party obliterates its foes.
When you’re not hacking Hell’s finest to pieces, however, you’ll be upgrading your camp and ensuring that your merry band of warriors’ material and mental needs are catered for – some of those monsters look like they’ll haunt my nightmares, so I can’t imagine what it’s like actually facing them.
“We wanted to see what the world of The Witcher would look like if you removed all the Witchers,” says Virtual Academy’s art director, Kamil Mickiewicz, and it looks like Band of Crusaders does just that. There’s that sense of hopelessness that makes Sanctuary so alluring, mixed with dynamic gameplay that adds an extra layer of complexity. In short: it’s a yes from me.
There’s no release date set for Band of Crusaders, but if you’re intrigued like me, you can wishlist it on Steam.
In the meantime, though, we have a list of all the best RTS games for all of you hardcore tacticians, as well as a collection of all the best games like Diablo if you’d rather sink your blade into hordes of hellish horrors.
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