Swords & Soldiers

I picked this up from the latest Humble Bundle, and while I can't speak for its console and PC versions - which frankly, I'm concerned might be a bit too simple - the Android iteration feels like a pretty good fit. Not unlike Majesty, Swords & Soldiers succeeds on an input-challenged platform by automating much of the micromanagement traditionally associated with RTS: units move by themselves, and in fact even more simplistically than in Majesty, since S&S is played on a side-scrolling battlefield.

Pleasantly, Swords & Soldiers' idea of real-time interactivity is more sophisticated than Majesty's. Part of the game's tech tree development includes magic spells, which are actually necessary to level the playing field, as AI opponents have their own magic as well. Managing your mana level and using the right spells on the right targets, all while keeping an eye on your forces and infrastructure, makes Swords & Soldiers feel less, well, diluted than most mobile games.

At the same time, an irreverent if slightly racially-insensitive sense of humor helps keep S&S lighthearted and fun through its campaign. All the Vikings ever wanted was to have a great barbecue, their quest for which culminated in a boss fight with a giant chili pepper (who could resurrect the dead with its zombie powers). I'm curious what wacky antics the Aztecs and Chinese will get up to in their campaigns.

Progress: Finished the Viking campaign