Review of "Return to the Empire": It's both a return and a revolution

The ideal real-time strategy game in my heart is closer to a feeling of "infinite game", that is, through various tactical and strategic combinations, trying to defeat different types of enemies. Whether successful or not, each game is a testing ground, always producing new winning methods, and then being verified or overturned by the system is the fun of this type of game.

But the actual situation is that many real-time strategy mobile games on the market always have routines to follow, often requiring me to follow certain methods in order to increase the winning rate. So playing these games is like following a predetermined problem-solving approach, with tactics and strategies easily becoming monotonous, and the gaming experience gradually becoming two-dimensional.

Many developers have also realized this problem, and their solution is to continuously add various variables to the game itself, from modifying values to changing winning conditions. Although it is short-term effective, it invisibly increases the cognitive cost of players, making it slow to get started and high in threshold, which has become a common problem in many real-time mobile games.

Returning to the Empire, which stands out among similar works, allows players to have three-dimensional tactical and strategic execution freedom by integrating changes into the system. Combined with simple and intuitive operations, while returning to the classic real-time strategy game experience, it also brings me a rare sense of freshness. Even though it has not yet reached perfection, it is undoubtedly moving towards the form of "infinite game" in my mind.

Rich and ever-changing reality

When it comes to mobile games nowadays, high-level art has become commonplace, especially the high-definition modeling of products from large manufacturers, which has reached the level of industrialization standards. Watching them too much has gradually faded away. In contrast, the beauty of "Return to the Empire" is not flat, but three-dimensional, with not only static beauty but also dynamic realism.

Randomly entering a map in the game, I can see vast and ever-changing terrain, with various buildings scattered all over. Coupled with a dynamic weather system and a natural environment that alternates day and night, it allows me to experience the real charm of breathing while marching, building, and even contemplating.

This charm is also reflected in the standing paintings of the generals and their dynamic expressions when interacting with me Wei Lan is currently my favorite warrior, and I believe that as long as you have mastered "Return to the Empire", you may not be able to resist her charm. As a archer, she has a domineering skill of shooting 4 consecutive times to deal bonus damage and adding another attack. What's even more domineering is her heroic setting and lifelike human voice.

Okay, I admit I have a strong preference for Weilan. The fact is, each warrior has their own unique settings and different human voices, and even miscellaneous soldiers such as barbarians have different presentation states and voices. These elements make "Return to the Empire" stand out in terms of visual and physical realism.

Three dimensional strategic and tactical execution

The system of "Return to the Empire" follows its own set of rules: the swordsman defeats the gunner, the gunner defeats the knight, the knight defeats the archer, and the archer defeats the swordsman. The rules themselves are not fresh, the change is that players can ignore the rules and even go against them. The game sometimes even implies to me: rules are used to subvert!

For example, in a situation where a large number of archers are concentrated, it is completely possible to forcefully confront the knight. If you feel that the casualties are too great, you can ambush the gunmen, surprise the opponent, or lure the enemy deeper. That is to say, the set of rules in "Return to the Empire" is only one of the conditions for victory, not even the most critical condition. It all depends on what your concept of victory is and how you implement this concept in specific operations.

Yes, "Returning to the Empire" requires players to operate, whether it is strategic long-range marching, such as "pulling the line", or micro operations during close combat with opponents. Players need to think about how to upgrade and combine the skills of generals, and also determine whether to automatically or manually release these skills on the battlefield.

It is not difficult to see that in terms of operation, "Return to the Empire" not only returns to the design of traditional real-time strategy games at the macro level, but also has a MOBA flavor at the micro level. Every war, every action, has a rich style of operation. Even if you defeat opponents of the same type, there is no formulaic optimal solution, only the most suitable solution based on your thinking level.

In line with the operation, there are distinctive urban development forces: Chinese style urban specialty archers, as well as characteristic branches of the Zhuge crossbow; The Frankish style city adds a bonus to swordsmen, while the distinctive unit is the Axe Throwing Soldier; The armored knights of Byzantine cities are skilled at pushing maps; The Roman style city phalanx has high blood and many soldiers. On this basis, each branch of the army can be upgraded and transformed just like generals.

These are only the elements of single player combat. When you join an alliance to participate in large army movements such as siege and team battles, there are even more variable tactical strategies, which cannot be compared to traditional real-time strategy mobile games.

Of course, the system ultimately needs to serve strategy and tactics. If it cannot be coordinated with tactical strategy, it becomes a useless display of skills, and the richer the game, the less fun it may be. Specifically, when it comes to "Returning to the Empire," the system gives me a more pragmatic impression at the strategic and tactical level, which is the fundamental logic behind the latter's execution.

For example, using grass to ambush has become one of the commonly used tactics among opponents in Return to the Empire. Using the game system where the troops are invisible to the opponent in the grass, a surprise soldier suddenly emerges and hits the opponent's individual with a flipping horse. I have become accustomed to this tactic, so much so that when marching, I always hide in the grass. I adopted the corresponding tactics in the opposite direction, deliberately using small forces to attract the enemy's surprise troops in the grass, covering the rapid advance of the large army, and seizing the enemy's resources.

The implementation of the above tactics is due to the setting of "multiple troops" in "Return to the Empire". I currently have three troops, managed by six generals, which allows me to always have a "back hand" in the battlefield and always have my own unique weapons. But sometimes this tactic is also used by opponents. They use grass as a cover, not to attack my troops, but to seize my resources, without causing any economic damage to me. By encroaching on my resource territory, they achieve the goal of defeating me.

My response method is to use outstanding generals to lead highly mobile troops to actively seek out the enemy, not to win, but to scout the movements of the enemy's troops and disrupt their strategic objectives. Sometimes the other party watches the lonely generals swaying in front of them, thinking that they are simply foolishly caught. They often cannot resist the temptation in front of them and chase after me. At this time, I will command the other two troops to launch a surprise attack, so that the other party can steal the chicken without losing the rice. The only thing that's frustrating is my Wei Lan, who often serves as such bait and is often blinded by the opponent's hammering. However, even the best generals are for tactical service. Wei Lan, I can only work harder for you

In PVP, the tactics I have used, such as "chicken stealing" and "surprise attack", will be more vividly reflected, including advantages and disadvantages, which will be further amplified. For example, for the tactic of "suddenly jumping out of the grass and a big man pounding you", I not only need to "divide the troops into multiple routes", but also "snake skin walking", adjusting the direction of the troops to reduce the losses caused by ambushes, while operating another or more troops to advance regardless of everything. The strategic goal of some players is to weaken the opponent's living power, but I always focus on improving the economy first and making occupying more resources the top priority goal.

If this is just one solution to deal with a certain tactic in PVP, then when facing alliance team battles, such as multiplayer PVP, the strategic and tactical choices derived from "Return to the Empire" will become more diverse. There is a "invasion war" specifically targeting the economy of the opponent's alliance, which involves concentrating our alliance's fast troops and constantly harassing the enemy's castle area, leaving them with no time to develop their economy; There are also "besieging and supporting" tactics to undermine the enemy's military strength, which involve surrounding an important fortress and then targeting the enemy's reinforcements, especially newly formed characteristic units, in order to advance the layout for the later disintegration of the enemy's military; Or just a little bit, constantly smashing and nibbling, adhering to the principle of "picking up vegetables in the basket", continuously eroding the other party's towns, regardless of size

As a leader of the alliance, if players do not carefully consider these tactical issues, it may lead to team battles and even lower morale among members, leading to gaps and even the collapse of the alliance. This is no different from reality.

So you will find that in the PVP gameplay of "Return to the Empire", whether it's single or multiple players, it's actually a comprehensive test of the player's ability to read the battlefield, operate, and adapt. The richness of tactical combinations will also increase exponentially, and the fun will naturally be more abundant than PVE.

The tactical richness allows me to focus more on strategic issues. For example, during marching, by zooming in and out of the map, one can constantly monitor the operational status of allies, opponents, or their own castle. Even during combat, the direction of economic development can be adjusted at any time according to the progress of the war, striving to minimize losses, or achieving a virtuous economic cycle through war.

This is actually another highlight of "Returning to the Empire", which can achieve multi line operations at the strategic level, rather than just focusing on battles, where economic or social factors temporarily disappear. This also indirectly confirms my impression of this game, as it is like a laboratory of tactics and strategy, with only things you didn't expect and nothing that cannot be achieved. If you can't defeat others, it means that your martial arts skills are not yet at home. You may want to try more real tactics such as besieging and supporting, combining points and surfaces, blooming more points, and secretly spending time. The game also provides rich experimental equipment, and as long as you are willing, you will always find your own way to win.

Simple and intuitive operations

A rich and diverse system, coupled with three-dimensional battles, may also deter many players if the operation is too cumbersome. "Return to the Empire" provides a minimalist solution that is in line with players' mobile operating habits. For example, by zooming in and out of the map with two fingers, you can directly drag troops or generals to choose a marching route. You can also click to switch between multiple units, and with its card like UI design, the information of generals, troops, and so on is clear at a glance. These basic designs not only conform to the operational logic of real-time strategy games, but also conform to the player's intuitive operation of such games, so they are smooth and easy to use with high fault tolerance.

In terms of difficulty, Return to the Empire is also implementing the concept of simplicity. The setting of automatic return to the city, automatic recovery of stamina, and automatic replenishment of soldiers allows players to focus more on the strategy itself, which is in line with their game role as a leader. Daily tasks, continuous login to send different high-level generals, continuous brushing of wild barbarian forces, and newbie resource protection systems also make the game experience more continuous. In my personal experience, there is almost no need to consider punishment for failure during the beginner stage, providing thoughtful system guarantees for trying different tactical combinations and strategic development directions.

If you still feel unsure how to get started, it is recommended to start with the beginner tutorial included in "Return to the Empire". The basic tactics and operation methods can be explained comprehensively, and the plot can be used to cleverly convey the characteristics of various generals, branches, and forces to novice players. In the game process, there are also various challenges with different levels of difficulty and corresponding rewards, enhancing the content that can be played repeatedly. Even without spending money, the fun is still full and juicy.

Overall, the rich and diverse systems, combined with a three-dimensional combat experience and simple yet intuitive operations, make "Return to the Empire" bring me a two-dimensional experience that is different from traditional real-time strategy mobile games, presenting a more three-dimensional "real-time strategy game picture" feeling. As for how to draw this picture, it depends on the player's own gaming habits and cognition.

This three-dimensional picture is a reflection of the strategic cooperation between Tianmei Studio and Xbox Game Studios, as well as a profound understanding of the logic of real-time strategy mobile games. From this perspective, I believe that "Return to the Empire" is a return to the tradition and classics of this genre, as well as an evolution and innovation.