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Defender of the Crown

   Turn-based strategy. Welcome to Defender of the Crown that offers players to take part in the internecine war for domination of medieval England. Your goal is to become King of England that is achieved by defeating five insidious lords and capturing all the castles on the island. You lose the game if any of your enemies conquers your castle. First of all, you choose one of four presented characters that differ in fame, shire, treasury, number of troops (including knights, infantry, bowmen, crossbow and catapults), and set of bonus cards. After that you begin playing on a map of old England, divided into numerous shires such as Sussex, Dorset, etc. You play by turns and every turn you whether to purchase more troops, acquire land (thereby increasing the gold flowing into your coffers), raid on treasury or kidnap an enemy princess. Battles are displayed as simple, yet enjoyable animated combat sequences between opposing forces, all of whom appear on-screen - using forethought and smartly-played cards alike. Except battles you can take part in jousts or archery tournaments that allow you to win fame, money and new territories.

   Defender of the Crown is a captivating game that features colorful detailed graphics, impressive sound effects and thrilling instrumental music. Thanks to decent AI of computer opponents, it'll take some time before you've come to grips with the system and are successfully laying siege to enemy castles or enjoying action-based archery or jousting mini-games, however. And while core play and engaging side-quests that see you raiding rivals' holdings or begging Robin Hood for aid do add excitement, it's all destined to be a bit mind-boggling for beginners. Strikingly attractive, not to mention surprisingly deep, the adventure plays as well as it ever has, faithfully fusing the original's charm with several modern-day enhancements, and offering tremendous value for the asking price. Still, you'll need to accept the fact that there's a significant learning curve to master before diving wholeheartedly into the outing. All in all, Defender of the Crown proves that original game concept in combination with variety of side quests and mini games, are appealing and needed; if you are looking for highly polished and manifold turn-based strategy, try this one.

Offline gameplay: 1 player Multiplayer: No

Publisher: Big Fish Games ESRB Ratio: Everyone

Extras and features: Colorful Detailed Graphics Four Unique Characters to Choose from Original Mini Games

Drawbacks: Tutorial should be more comprehensive

Requirements: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows Vista

Alternative names: DefenderoftheCrown, Defender of the Krown, Defedner of the Crown, Defenders of the Crown.