Fort Triumph is an indie game developed by CookieByte Entertainment, currently in its alpha stages. I was lucky enough to try out an alpha version of the game, and so far I’m very impressed by what it has to offer.
The premise of Fort Triumph can best be described as a funny fantasy XCOM. The tactical grid, cover system, and the infamous hit percentages will look familiar to anyone who’s played a tactical RPG before.
In the version I played, I was only able to go through a short part of what appears to be an extensive campaign. The story introduces a group of classic fantasy adventurers: a mage, archer, savage and paladin, as they attempt to hunt down an evil necromancer.
The game doesn’t take itself too seriously and is full of great jokes and humor. In my travels, I encountered a mimic disguised as a well that I convinced to become a tourist attraction and an army of corporate skeletons who absolutely must have at least three daily boardroom meetings and are deeply offended by being classified as undead; they prefer to be called “unliving.”
Combat is also quite interesting, with many unique abilities available to the different classes. Fireballs and wormholes for the mage, smoke bombs and camouflage for the archer, and a healing aura and fear-inducing ability for the paladin and the savage.
One clever feature is the reliance on the environment during combat. Many abilities consist of pushing or pulling enemies or objects which let player manipulate the battlefield to their advantage. From throwing an enemy into a hole in the ground to kicking a tree they were taking cover behind to make it smack them on the face, this feature is a lot of fun and introduces many new approaches to different scenarios.
Outside of combat, Fort Triumph plays out in an overworld map that reminded me a lot of Heroes of Might and Magic.
As you control your group of adventurers across the world map, you will face different encounters and find new buildings that give you additional weekly income or unit recruitment options for as long as you keep them under your control.
You have a limited amount of steps each day, and every week monsters on the world map respawn and grow in strength, which helps to keep you on your toes.
There are different factions around the world, each with its own parties traveling and fighting over the resources and buildings spread across the map. There’s a reputation system for the different factions, allowing you to befriend and recruit their units, or to fight them for their buildings and resources.
The graphics and music of Fort Triumph work well with its sense of humor. The colorful and whimsical visuals help keep the atmosphere light while maintaining a distinct fantasy theme.
Despite the lack of the polish and light content typical of an alpha build, I really enjoyed my time with Fort Triumph.
I definitely believe this is a game worth keeping an eye on for its full release. The hilarious dialogue along with fun gameplay with some unique twists make for a great and memorable experience.
Fort Triumph enters Steam Early Access on April 26.
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