Battle Crest is a turn-based online multiplayer strategy game where you battle for global domination. Available for Windows 10 Mobile, Battle Crest is very similar to the classic board game Risk and supports 2-4 players.
Graphics are very modest, much like you would find on a strategy board game. The challenge of Battle Crest is dependent on your opponent, but battlefield skills are needed or your troops can become stretched thin and turn into easy targets for your enemy. The game is currently set during Medieval Europe with more historical maps in the works.
The free gaming title is also available for Windows Phone 8.1 devices, including low-memory phones. We received a tip that Battle Crest was worth a look and found it to be a mobile game with potential and worthy title for the gaming genre. Just be warned that it takes a little time to get used to the gaming mechanics.
The first order of business with Battle Crest is to create a user account and give the game OneDrive permission (game saves). Once this small task is completed, the game transitions to the main menu where you find options to view the gaming tutorial, set up gameplay, visit the gaming store, customize your castle banner and access the game's settings.
Settings are minimal with options to mute the sounds and music of the game. Battle Crest's store holds a large collection of premade crests that can be purchased with the gold you earn during gameplay. If you prefer, you do have the ability to create your own custom crest in the Crest Creator tool.
Gameplay with Battle Crest is divided into two modes, online and local (Pass and Play). Both modes support 2-4 players and will eventually support multiple historical maps. The game currently only has the Europe 1328 A.D. map of Europe available.
The goal of Battle Crest is to conquer the world and defend your castle. The mechanics of gameplay isn't overly complicated once you get the hang of things, but can drive you nuts in the beginning. There is a tutorial that details gameplay nicely and is a must read before diving into gameplay. Otherwise, you can find yourself doing more guessing than playing.
You begin gameplay with a home castle that fills one region of the global map. Double-tapping on the castle pulls up the troop menu where you can create troops and champions. Champions are leaders in the field and individual soldiers are assigned to one champion. Each player can have up to three champions on the battlefield at a time.
Creating champions or soldiers requires food that is supplied to players at the start of each turn. The more territories you control, the more food awarded and the stronger the soldier, the more food required to generate that unit. Assigning a soldier to a champion requires you to double-tap the champion icon (soldier on a horse) and a transfer menu appears to allow you to shift troops from the castle to the champion.
Movement around the map is accomplished by tapping/dragging your champion. Movement is limited with each turn and if you are moving into an area occupied by your opponent a battle option appears. Combat can be carried out automatically or in step by step fashion. The outcome of a battle is somewhat random (as if you were rolling the dice) and as you conquer opponents' armies, you lay claim to the territory.
The premise of Battle Crest is appealing, but the game needs a little polishing before it has a chance to become addictive. The mechanics of gameplay seemed cumbersome in that you have to create the champion to lead the troops and move them around the map. The flow of gameplay with Battle Crest needs to be as smooth as the flow of gameplay is with Risk. I did like how the champion icon changed from horseman to boat when you move out over the water.
The other issue that holds Battle Crest back is the online play. It is hard to fault the developer with this issue, but online play can be painfully slow because of inactivity by the other players. There needs to be a time limit on how long a player has to make their move or that move is forfeited. One shouldn't have to wait thirty minutes (or longer) between turns. Again, I cannot knock the developer on this one and it is an issue that plagues many online games.
The free gaming title does have a nice strategy and combat management element. You can rush your way across the map, attacking everything in sight but that may stretch your troops thin, making them easy targets for your opponent.
Available for Windows 10 Mobile, Battle Crest is also available for Windows Phone 8.1 that includes low-memory devices. While the title doesn't mention this, the game is a public beta and with a little polishing and fine-tuning Battle Crest has the potential of being a solid board game for Windows 10 Mobile.
Download Battle Crest for Windows 10 Mobile
