Introduction

Knights and Glory is a popular war and strategy game for Android and iOS devices. The game puts the player in control of a clan in a medieval fantasy world, with the objective being to build your clan’s strength and conquer other clans.

With its intricate gameplay, detailed graphics, and competitive multiplayer, Knights and Glory provides an immersive and challenging experience for strategy game enthusiasts.

In this comprehensive review, we will take a close look at all aspects of Knights and Glory to see what makes it stand out in the mobile strategy genre.

Gameplay

Overview

The core gameplay loop of Knights and Glory involves:

• Recruiting and training troops
• Managing resources and the economy
• Forming strategies and battle tactics
• Laying siege to enemy strongholds
• Working your way up the competitive leaderboards

As clan leader, the player must make smart decisions at every turn in order to build military strength and conquer rival factions. Strong strategic and tactical skills are required to succeed.

Game Modes

There are two main game modes in Knights and Glory:

• Campaign – In the lengthy singleplayer campaign, the player completes story-driven levels against AI enemies. This allows you to learn the game’s mechanics against incrementally more difficult opposition.
• PVP – The competitive multiplayer component allows you to test your skills against other players. There are various PVP modes such as 1v1 duels, clan wars, and a ranking ladder. This is where the real challenge lies.

Progression

Starting out with just a modest castle and army, the player must gather resources to upgrade buildings, research technologies, and train more advanced troops.

There is deep progression system, with hundreds of upgrades to work towards. Maximizing economic and military efficiency is key.

The ultimate goal is to conquer all of the enemy factions on the map, requiring careful strategy and tactics. It takes patience and skill to progress from fledgling clan to unstoppable empire.

Controls

Knights and Glory utilizes simple and intuitive touch screen controls. Tapping units and buildings selects them, while dragging allows you to move units or assign them actions. Pinching and spreading zooms the map in and out.

An automatic pathfinding system means you can focus on higher level strategy, without having to micromanage every single unit. Controls are streamlined to be fast and responsive.

Graphics and Visuals

The game features detailed 2D graphics and animations, bringing the medieval setting to life. Zoomed out, the map provides an overview of your domain, while zooming in allows you to admire the artwork and effects.

Visual details like flowing banners and vivid spell effects add character and flair. Unit designs are differentiated clearly per faction.

The polished visual presentation makes gameplay pleasing to the eye and also helps with effectively parsing information. The graphics are optimized well for mobile devices.

Audio and Music

Complementing the medieval visuals is an orchestral soundtrack with sweeping, epic melodies that draw you into the ambiance. Custom music sets the tone for intense sieges or moments of triumph.

Sound effects like clashing swords, whizzing arrows, and thundering magic spells add excitement and satisfaction to the combat. Crunchy and visceral sound design makes every action feel impactful.

Overall, the audio-visual presentation is polished and enhances the medieval war theme substantially.

Core Gameplay Mechanics

Now let’s examine some of the key gameplay mechanics in more detail:

Factions

There are four playable factions, each with unique attributes, units, abilities, and playstyles. For example, the Legion faction specializes in heavy infantry and defense while the Coven relies on dark magic.

Choosing a faction determines the flavor and mechanics of your playthrough. It allows you to leverage different strategic strengths against opponents.

Resource Management

Critical resources include:

• Gold – Used to construct buildings, recruit troops, and research upgrades
• Food – Determines troop replenishment and upkeep
• Iron – Needed to create weapons and armor
• Magic crystals – Allows casting powerful spells

New structures like farms, mines, and barracks must be built to increase income of these resources. Maximizing resource generation and maintaining a large surplus is key.

Unit Recruitment

There are dozens of distinct military units like swordsmen, archers, cavalry, catapults, and mages. Each has strengths and weaknesses.

Managing a balanced, well-rounded army is important. More advanced units require specific structures to be built before they can be trained.

Multiplayer

PVP modes allow you to challenge players worldwide. Clan wars pitch two clans directly, or you can climb the 1v1 leaderboards for prestige.

Careful scouting and reading your human opponent’s strategies is now crucial. There is great replayability in refining strategies against real opposition.

Research

The deep tech tree contains hundreds of upgrades to unlock, conferring permanent bonuses and advanced abilities. Prioritizing key military research or economic upgrades can tilt the tide of battle.

Pacing your research and maximizing efficiency requires long term planning. Focusing on a specific playstyle is incentivized through the tech tree.

Battle Tactics

The most engaging gameplay involves plotting tactical battles against enemy clans. Flanking maneuvers, optimal troop placements, and knowing when to commit reserves have to be mastered.

Mixing offensive and defensive unit types and outmaneuvering your foe leads to hard-fought victories. The AI provides stiff opposition on harder difficulties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Knights and Glory pay to win?

No, the game is not pay to win. There are no gameplay affecting purchases. Optional purchases are for cosmetic skins.

Can you play Knights and Glory offline?

Yes, the singleplayer campaign is fully playable offline. Only the multiplayer modes require an internet connection.

How much does the game cost?

Knights and Glory is free to download. There are optional in-app purchases for skins but no purchases that affect gameplay.

Is there a clan or guild system?

Yes, you can join or create a clan with other players. Clans allow social interaction and also clan wars versus other clans.

How large is the download size?

Knights and Glory is approximately 500 MB to download depending on your device. It requires at least 1GB of storage space.

Does it work on emulators?

Officially the game is only supported on Android and iOS mobile devices. Using emulators like Bluestacks or Nox is discouraged and may result in bans.

What are VIP levels?

VIP levels confer some minor bonuses like production speed. They are unlocked by purchasing skins, but do not directly affect strength.

How hard is the PVP?

The matchmaking system pits you against similarly skilled opponents. At higher tiers the PVP can be extremely competitive requiring solid strategies.

What age rating is the game?

Knights and Glory is rated for ages 12+ on the app stores due to frequent fantasy violence. It is appropriate for teenagers.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Highly polished graphics and presentation
• Deep strategic gameplay rewarding planning
• Four unique playable factions
• Hundreds of technologies to research
• Competitive ranked multiplayer
• Epic medieval fantasy theme
• No pay to win mechanics
• Smooth touch screen controls
• Great progression curve and sense of growth

Cons

• Can feel slow paced at times during building phases
• Steep learning curve for total newcomers to the genre
• High skill ceiling means casual players may struggle with PVP
• requires a consistent time investment to excel
• The campaign storyline is a bit cliche
• Does not have a pre-battle tactics mode – leans more toward real-time tactics

Reviews and Reception

Knights and Glory currently scores 4/5 on the Google Play Store based on over 50,000 user reviews. Players widely praise the amount of content, gameplay depth, and fair monetization. Criticisms mostly focus on the dense learning curve.

Major gaming review sites generally rate the game highly, with praise directed at the strategic gameplay, multiplayer, and long term appeal. Reviewers recommend the game to strategy fans, but point out the high learning curve as a downside.

Based on user and critic reviews, Knights and Glory delivers a compelling medieval war strategy experience for mobile gamers. The depth of gameplay and competitive multiplayer seem to be its strongest points.

Who is This Game For?

Knights and Glory is best suited for:

• Fans of strategy/tactics games like Clash of Clans or Age of Empires
• Players looking for deep and complex game mechanics
• Those who enjoy competitive multiplayer environments
• Anyone wanting a substantial and rewarding time commitment
• Medieval history and fantasy enthusiasts
• Gamers seeking a mobile-optimized strategy experience

The game may not appeal as much to:

• Extremely casual gamers looking for quick and easy gameplay
• Those lacking patience for longer term planning and progress
• Players turned off by animated violence and warfare themes
• Those without stable internet connections for multiplayer

Overall, Knights and Glory delivers a top-tier strategic gameplay experience catering specifically to more advanced and dedicated mobile gamers with an interest in medieval settings and warfare.

Similar Games

Some notable games similar to Knights and Glory include:

• Clash of Clans – Base building and combat focused. Cartoony graphics.
• Age of Empires – Historic RTS with less focus on economy.
• Rise of Kingdoms – Multiplayer war gameplay and massive battles.
• Total War Battles: Kingdom – Spinoff of PC series, large scale combat.
• Iron Marines – Scifi take on the genre by same developer.
• Clash Royale – Lighthearted tower defense battles.
• Warhammer Odyssey – Warhammer universe inspired. MMORPG.

While bearing some gameplay similarities, Knights and Glory stands out through its dark fantasy setting, faction asymmetry, heavy progression system, and well-tuned PVP. It carves a niche combining depth with accessibility.

Game Rating

Based on this in-depth review, we give Knights and Glory a rating of:

4.5 / 5

The game undeniably provides a stellar medieval war-themed strategy experience. Engaging gameplay, competitive multiplayer, excellent graphics, and fair monetization make it a must try for mobile gamers.

Some drawbacks like the learning curve and slow early game hold it back from a perfect score, but there is almost unrivaled depth and longevity for its mobile genre. Overall a superb game.

Key Features

Here are some key points to summarize this review of Knights and Glory:

• Controls armies and economy as a medieval clan leader
• Four unique playable factions with differing units and abilities
• Hundreds of upgrades to unlock on tech tree
• Compelling graphics bring the dark fantasy world alive
• Challenging PVP modes and competitive leaderboards
• Tactical battles require strategic unit placement and maneuvering
• Deep resource management system and economic focus
• Lengthy singleplayer campaign provides well-paced learning
• High skill ceiling demands careful planning and decision making
• Classic RTS elements adapted seamlessly for mobile
• No pay to win mechanics, optional cosmetics only
• Appropriate for teenagers, rated 12+ for fantasy violence

Conclusion

In closing, Knights and Glory executes the medieval war strategy genre remarkably well on mobile. There is a huge amount of content, both singleplayer and multiplayer.

Graphics, sound design, and presentation create an immersive atmosphere. The strategic gameplay offers almost unmatched depth and longevity on mobile platforms.

While the learning curve is steep, putting in the time to master its systems and climb the ranks is immensely rewarding. For die-hard strategy fans, Knights and Glory should be an instal-download.

Even with a few warts, for its accessible yet hard-core approach to complex strategy gaming on mobile devices, Knights and Glory earns a wholehearted recommendation. The game embodies the satesfaction which comes from building a war machine piece by piece, crushing your enemies, and seeing the long term fruits of your labours.