King Arthur's Gold?

Not too long ago I was browsing the alpha-funding section of Desura hoping to find the next "Minecraft." What I found was... what one could call similar, but it is something that I would call: "better."

I saw that the game had a free version that didn't restrict play all too much - I downloaded it. All I know is that the four hours or so that followed were nothing but a joy.

So, what did I see? At first... nothing too pleasant

Title screen to King Arthur's Gold

The starting menu really isn't too appealing to the eye, but I had to take into consideration that the game was still in alpha and being made by two people.
Fortunately, this eyesore is nothing but a simple launcher. The game boasts some amazing retro style graphics from Max Cahill. The menu was fairly straightforward: Solo led to singleplayer v.s. AI and to a zombie mode (only available in the full version), multiplayer led to a server browser to join another menu which had options for a server browser or matchmaking, settings brought you to the settings and so forth.

So... what about the gameplay?
Yes, of course - the gameplay!

Archers can climb trees and hold LMB to charge their shots

In the solo mode you start in a pre-made level and can choose to start off as the archer or soldier (builder is only available online). Each class is, of course, played very differently: the archer boasts a long range shot whereas the soldier has more health, shorter range, and a shield.

The gameplay is very easy to pick up on in solo mode - move right and kill enemies. The game features a "ticket" system similar to the Battlefield franchise and once you run out of tickets, you cannot respawn.

Soldiers can hold RMB to raise their shield and aim it towards the mouse

In solo mode, the archer is near useless. The AI soldiers are programmed to raise their shields in the event of an enemy bow being drawn thus making your arrows almost useless. The soldier on the other hand becomes quite fun as when your ally archers draw an arrow the enemy goes into defensive mode allowing you to charge your sword and wail on them all you want.

The solo mode is just a gimmick, really, and should only be played when you're suffering from extreme boredom with no internet... the game is meant to be played with other people.

The multiplayer

You will run around a lot without a God-damned clue as to what to do when you first start multiplayer. You will try to build structures (if you can muster up the courage to look like a complete idiot) only to have a more experienced player tear down your structure to expand/create their own. Generally speaking: the community is close-knit and friendly. Asking a fellow teammate why they just destroyed your shit usually ends up with a helpful response that helps your learn.

Okay, building phase is over! Time to kick some... who just killed me? You will notice that you cannot just run into combat blindly in this game. Chances are if you do, you will run into either:

1. Bombs. These are annoying as all hell, watch for them
2. "We will block out the sun," yes, many archers who have way too much skill at aiming
3. GQWJRJQTHQ#(T a trap.

The game is fun, don't get me wrong! You just need to... accept defeat at times and learn from others. Once you get the hang of everything you will find yourself immersed in the game and just having a good time.

Bridges with team colors can only be walked on by players of that team... spike traps under these are a must!
Builders can mine ore, gold and harvest wood to build "blocks"

Unfortunately, I have noticed a lot of lag while playing. Sometimes you will be dueling a soldier and he will somehow end up behind you and get you with the backstab. This is normal. Do not complain about it as everyone suffers from it and it is a known issue that the developers are working to fix. This is a game in alpha, after all.

So... is this worth my money?

Overall I give the game an 8/10.

The game is still in alpha and there are MANY features being planned and the game is only $10 currently while in alpha. For the price and the fact that it is in alpha, the game is definitely an amazing game and is definitely worth the money. I hope to do a follow up on this game upon the release as well as follow up on the updates that are released.

Side notes:

• The game is made in Irrlicht
• LibNoise is used to generate the maps
• Cross platform (Windows, Linux, Mac)\
• From the creator of Soldat