Reviewed: May 11, 2001
Reviewed by: Richard Cross
Publisher
Strategy First
Developer
TimeGate
Released: March 15, 2001
Genre: Strategy
Players: 8
ESRB: Everyone
9
7
7
9
8.7
System Requirements
Strategy First and TimeGate Studios have upped the ante again. Their latest addition to the RTS genre has raised the bar for other companies to follow. This title features some excellent and long awaited improvements to the RTS genre. The title I am speaking of is Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns, and it will knock you off your feet.
The game itself is based on a fantasy world called Khaldun. Between the introductory movie and the information in the manual, the history of the game is laid out very well. The manual is very well written and includes all of the necessary information needed to be successful during your adventures in the World of Khaldun. As with any game in this genre, the more you play, the more you learn. The included tutorial campaigns are a welcome addition to the game and really help the player to quickly get up to speed and comfortable with the in-game control interface. Kohan features some of the most intuitive and well-designed control screens that I have seen in an RTS game.
Kohan is similar to other AOE style games in appearance, but not in play. TimeGate has taken the time to include some well thought-out additions to the gameplay experience. One of these new additions is the company command system. This new feature makes it much easier to manage multiple units within a group. You basically have a few icons representing a whole army of units. For example, you will see one footman element on the screen and in reality it can represent up to approximately 50 footman units. This new type of icon representation system really makes it easier to command an entire army.
Most RTS style games have some sort of resource management that can take up a large amount of playing time. I have to admit that the resource management system that Kohan uses really simplifies the micro-management and allows the player to spend more time playing and less time managing resources. The only resource that you need to manage is gold. Before the building process can begin on any item, you must pay the full amount in gold. Once the item is built it requires resource upkeep; this could be any combination of iron, mana, wood, or stone. These items are managed automatically by the system, but the player does have item upgrades that can be used to affect the resource amounts created or used by each item.
The user interface for the game is very intuitive. For example, when building a company you can drag and drop the units that you want included in the company from the selection side of the screen to the company side of the screen. After you have selected the units that you want in your company, you press the commission button and if you have the required amount of gold, the company will be built.
The tutorial campaign that is included with the game will help you learn the graphical interface and familiarize you with the controls of the game. After I completed the six tutorial missions, I felt very comfortable with both the controls and the graphical interface. Kohan gives you the option of playing the one included campaign or creating your own campaign by selecting all of the gameplay options. The custom campaign option really adds a lot of versatility to the game, but it would have been nice to see more than one full campaign added to the game.
The nicely rendered environments and detailed effects really add to the playability of the game. The characters are very nicely detailed and their movements are very smooth. When you have a few dozen units on the screen at a time, each dishing out their own version of justice on the enemy, the animation and gameplay keep moving along without a single stutter.
The game supports a resolution of 1024x768 and the graphics are every bit as nice as the other RTS games on the market. The only drawback to the game is that it only works with a 1024x768 resolution and nothing else. This is a great feature for those of us who have the ability to use that resolution, but if you have an older video card or monitor you will have to upgrade to enjoy the excellent graphics and great gameplay that Kohan offers.
Kohan is a well rounded game. The sounds of swords crashing and spells being cast are but a few of the wonderful sound effects that pull you even deeper into the game. These sound effects really immerse you into the World of Khaldun.
Of course there always seems to be that one area that gets a little less attention during the course of game design. The voiceovers that you hear when selecting a unit quickly embed themselves in your brain so that even you are reciting them when you select a unit. This is where the wonderful world of options comes into play. TimeGate was thoughtful enough to include the option of turning down and even disabling the volume of the voiceovers so that you can enjoy the full gaming experience.
If you enjoy RTS style games, you will find many hours of enjoyment within the Kohan World of Khaldun. This game really delivers a delightful twist to the RTS genre and has just enough of a fantasy element to keep you coming back for more.
I have played through all of the campaigns and still I find myself yearning for more. Strategy First and TimeGate both have me wondering if they will release a campaign add-on for this great game.
The multiplayer options within Kohan really make up for the lack of built-in campaigns. Kohan allows up to 8 players to join in on a network game. With the addition of GameSpy Arcade, internet play has never been so fun and easy. Kohan gives you the ability to set your own victory conditions. You can be victorious by gaining the most gold, conquering a set amount of cities, or being the last one standing. With all of these options available, the gaming experience is never-ending.
Overall, this game really proves that a new face can bring some welcome additions to an old and tired genre. Kohan is very well designed and the gameplay is excellent. Even with the lack of multiple campaigns, the network options more than make up for this oversight and make this game one of the year's best so far.
I would highly recommend that you go right out and purchase this game and get started on a wonderful adventure in the World of Khaldun. With this type of fantasy background, the ongoing story lines are virtually endless.
I would really like to jabber on and on about how great this game is, but I'm missing out on valuable playing time. I look forward to seeing you in Khaldun.