diplomacy
Reviews

Diplomacy is Not an Option: Review

In this game you’re a medieval lord, trying to build a strong town while waves of enemies constantly try to destroy it. Diplomacy is Not an Option puts you right in the middle of this intense scenario, where every choice you make can either save your town or lead to its downfall. Sounds interesting?

The game starts with you being responsible for building a settlement and defending it against huge enemy forces. The maps in the game are generated randomly, so every time you play, the layout is different. This keeps things interesting, but it also means that the difficulty can be unpredictable. Sometimes, you’ll get a map that’s relatively easy to handle, while other times, it feels nearly impossible to survive.

This randomness is both good and bad. It keeps the game fresh by forcing you to change your strategies, but it can also be really frustrating when you’re faced with a map that seems unbeatable. At times, it feels like luck plays a bigger role than skill, which can be a bit disheartening.

One of the key aspects of the game is finding the right balance between building your town and preparing for battle. You need to gather resources like wood, stone, and food to construct buildings, train soldiers, and keep your people happy. Wood is especially important since it’s used for almost everything.

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As your town grows, you’ll need to invest in technology to strengthen your defenses and expand your army. The game offers a variety of upgrades, from improving your troops’ armor to speeding up construction times. Every decision you make here matters and can significantly impact your chances of surviving the next wave of enemies.

One of the most intense parts of Diplomacy is Not an Option is the massive battles. Early on, you face small groups of enemies, but as you progress, the enemy waves become much larger and more varied. You’ll need to build a diverse army to deal with the different types of threats.

The game offers a range of units, from basic swordsmen and archers to more specialized troops like catapults and mounted knights. This variety adds depth to the combat, but it also means you need to be constantly adapting your strategy based on the enemies you’re facing. The game’s active pause feature is incredibly useful here, allowing you to pause the action, plan your moves, and give orders without the pressure of real-time combat.

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Even though the enemy AI isn’t particularly smart, the sheer number of enemies can be overwhelming, especially when they attack from multiple directions. This makes every battle feel like a high-stakes puzzle where one wrong move can lead to disaster.

While Diplomacy is Not an Option has a lot going for it, there are some areas that could use improvement. The campaign mode, for example, doesn’t offer much in terms of story. The dialogue is funny at times, but the overall plot is pretty basic. If you’re looking for a deep, engaging story, you might be disappointed.

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The game can also start to feel repetitive after a while. Once you’ve figured out a strategy that works, the gameplay doesn’t change much. The random maps help to mix things up, but the core experience remains largely the same.

Diplomacy is Not an Option is a solid strategy game with a lot of potential. Its mix of town-building and wave defense offers a good challenge, but it’s not without its frustrations. The random maps can make the game feel inconsistent, and the lack of a compelling story leaves something to be desired. However, if you enjoy strategy games and don’t mind a bit of unpredictability, this game is worth checking out.

And with the upcoming 1.0 release, the game feature over 100 hours of content, including a full story campaign with multiple endings and diverse missions. Players can expect over 30 hours in a single playthrough, with 25+ missions and at least three distinct factions.

About the author

Tom Henry

I worked as a PM in video games, now I'm trying some new things.