"Lord Rufus!" ...Wish that guy would just die...
There was a LOT done well here, had me for hours.
The upsides:
Detail - The attention to detail here is phenomenal, ranging from graphics to hitbox performance all the way to historical accuracy. I was quite motivated to get and use the legendary English longbow, and I have to admit how realistic it is for how it is presented here. Also, as I'd expected, the bodkin tips were greatfor penetrating armor, and left me wanting for damage. Excellence here.
Performance - This regards the hitboxes and how meticulously tuned they are. I've played through AAA titles that weren't so fine-tuned, and this just blows me away. This was a tremendous boost to the gameplay, and went above and beyond to make it immersive. Excellence here as well.
Atmosphere - Instead of the expected song in the background, I was quite pleasantly surprised to find myself immersing with the din and cries of a live battlefield. This also does droves of work for the game's quality in the minor, unexpected way.
The downsides:
Enemies - While the variety and rules of each enemy are phenomenal, I quickly found myself unable to respond to the oncoming footmen fast enough to stop a majority of them once the explosive carts started joining the fray. This should have worked for the experience, but instead, wound up working against the fun, knowing that no matter what, you have no chance of marginalizing damage. They're too quick for the little bit of ground they have to cover. ...This isn't a point I like to push, since I can't think of a better idea to do it.
Archers - Even with upgrades maxed out, I was lucky if the volley would kill more than one footman. It defeats the purpose of having the archers if they don't do anything better than what the player is capable of. I found myself ignoring them entirely in favor of the catapults that kill everything in the radius.
I really, REALLY like this one, and I don't like having to put it down because I've run out of things to do with it. I'm hoping this little gem goes on to become a better version of itself with much more baddies and toys to play with! Keep 'em coming.