Heroes Of Might: Legends Of Eisenwald
I love daft fantasy worlds, with their magical hats, dragons and whatnot. Love 'em. This year alone, I've had a blast picking through the recognisable-but-weird mythology of Pillars of Eternity, and The Witcher 3's creature feature quests have been a source of delight. Magic and monsters sometimes seem like essential ingredients in the RPG pie. Given a choice though, I'd opt for a straight-up historical RPG every time and I thought Legends of Eisenwald [official site] might be just that. A strategic-RPG set in medieval Germany. It's not quite what I'd hoped for but Aterdux's game, which has just left Early Access, is well worth a look.
It it were Heroes of Might and Magic without the magic, I'd be intrigued. King's Bounty without the comedy folklore. There aren't many developers, outside strategy and wargaming, recreating historical periods and places.
Legends of Eisenwald hasn't flushed out all of the fantasy elements but it contains a sprinkling of superstition rather than seventy schools of magic, and fifteen varieties of dragonkin.
...it's a land where the superstitions of the time have come to life. This isn’t a fantasy game. There are no elves or dragons here. There are only people - and their passions, sins and fears that often take a tangible form.
I played the earliest of the early access builds very briefly but will try to find time for a closer look at the final release this week. The general consensus seems to be positive, although I've heard soe complaints about the linear, repetitive nature of the campaign.