TZAR: The Burden of the Crown Review

A good idea and good will have long ceased to be sufficient to create a desirable game. When disk space is measured in gigabytes and CPU speed reaches a GHz it takes much more than a good idea to use the resources properly. I am not pining for the "good old days", it's just that the games today all obey the same standards and rules, which is nothing strange because the programmers have to follow the dead-lines, maintain the budget, satisfy their boss and create what they think their target group on the market would appreciate. So, it's not the programmers, it's just the rules...

The golden rule is that he who has the gold - makes the rules. Therefore, the whole gaming industry is concentrated in the western countries. The east (of Europe, that is - Japan is still clinging to life) is completely forgotten because it produces an insignificant number of usually even more insignificant games. Well, this whole story is supposed to be an introduction to one of the exceptions - the new (and probably first) game developed by the Bulgarian group Haemimont: TZAR: THE BURDEN OF THE CROWN.

Talon Soft realized the game's potentials and accepted to publish it. Since the Age of Kings and Tiberian Sun absolutely nothing worth mentioning happened on the RTS stage, As 2D games slowly wither or get another dimension, Tzar is set to continue the great tradition founded by Warcraft and C&C.

The plot is commonly based on the struggle between good and evil, where the player finds himself on the good side, bereft of choice. Mexican soap operas seem to be very popular in Bulgaria as the story begins with an orphan raised by peasants. When the child grew up a wizard told him that he is in fact the only true heir to the late king. The youth now has to gather army loyal to his deceased father, and triumph over evil by finding a magical orb of great power. That is a lot to do in a 17-mission campaign. Everything is linear, yet interesting because the plot unravels during game play. You will meet NPC who will give you information or quests that will help your final goal. You may lead conversation with NPC by choosing one of the given answers.

The first thing that will meet your eye is a mediocre intro (the only cinematic in the game), followed by the main menu with a relatively small number of options, but you are bound to forget all that once the action commences. The character and terrain designers have obviously taken their job seriously. The graphics are very precise and motley: the fish dabble in the water the birds fly over the forests and villages. There are several different pictures for each building. The game resolutions 800x600 and 1024x768 in Hi Color provide an enjoyable experience.

The gameplay is taken from some of the legendary RTS games. Certain features from Warctraft, C&C, and Age of Empires have been literally copied. The idea to take all the best features and combine them into a masterpiece is basically good, but it didn't succeed here. The units, buildings, scripted story and the command system have an air of déjà vu about them, with no innovations at all. Army group formations (a feature from the Age of Kings) have unfortunately been left out, which leaves the troops pointlessly scattered. The buildings are ridiculously small compared to units, and faster-moving units in the same group with slower-moving ones will run ahead, leaving their comrades unprotected.

On the other hand it would be unjust not to mention all the refreshing novelties in the game. The possibility of unit advance through experience is not a new notion, but it has never been this well exploited before. You can manufacture straw puppets used for target practice and sparing drills. Taverns are used to recruit heroes who give attack bonuses to all units they command. The linear gameplay takes its toll here, for no matter what highly trained commando squad you manage to assemble, you will have to start all over from the beginning in the next mission. That doesn't go for the main three characters. They are present all through the game and they keep improving their kills and using magical objects in a typical RPG manner. Another refreshing novelty are the spies: they attack their victims viciously from behind, and then assume their identity. There is also the possibility of gambling in the taverns, and taking a loan with interest can come in quite handy when you're short of cash.

Tzar will never surpass its glorious predecessors where the atmosphere and feeling of play is concerned, possibly just because of their fame, but it still has. The mission concept is good: you keep changing your role as attacker/defender. Fortifications finally have realistic value in single player combat, and the bulk of units that crowds the screen during big battles depict medieval battle atmosphere most truly.

Aside from the campaign there are also custom missions and randomly generated maps. In this mode, you can select one of the three sides: European, Arabian and Asian. Every side has specific buildings and units, which provides a satisfactory variety. You will have a chance to meet all three sides in the campaign, but it is much more enjoyable to experiment with them without the limitations of the quest.

As I already mentioned the graphics will instantly attract players, but the second impressions are taste dependant.

The midi background themes are barely acceptable, whilst the CD tracks are mediocre. The sound effects are typical for all sword-&-magic games. Some background noise like the howling of the wolves in the forests and crow of roosters tend to improve the overall impression.

The AI is not consistent in quality. Allied troops occasionally get stuck in ravines and remain indifferent to enemy attacks, but they can also help each other out and find best ways between two points. The computer will always try to eliminate the weakest units, and then charge at the stronger ones from all directions. It will sometimes compensate the tactical quality of the attack with the quantity of units involved. Even on the easiest level a battle can last for quite some time. The type of the enemy development can also be set (barbarian/mage), and this makes the game even more interesting in the long run.

Multiplayer mode supports Internet and LAN. Direct cable connections and modem linking is not supported. There is a relatively small number of multiplayer scenarios, but as the game is shipped with a scenario and campaign editor, you will be able to make all the maps you want.

The game was obviously meant to be a hit but there are still a couple of things missing for Tzar to get its own star on RTS Boulevard. Some more cinematics might do the trick. The game ending leaves room for a sequel, which might make us look east with some envy next time, if the programmers mend all the flaws from the first part.

P.S. Take a look at the credits if you want.