Review | Elven Legacy: Ranger

Format: PC | Genre: Turn Based Strategy | Publisher: Paradox Interactive | Developer: Ino-Co | Release date: 23/10/09 | RRP: £7.95

By Jennifer Allen

Sometimes, I wonder what the gaming world would be like without the humble elf.

If nothing else, the orcs and humans would have no one to oppress, and the dwarves would have no one to make fun of, in so many videogames past and present. In the case of Russian developer Ino-Co’s Elven Legacy, the story was just what you would expect. A power-hungry human mage was out to cause destruction, and the Elves had to stop him and save the world, or something like that. It might not have been the most groundbreaking of stories, but the action was reasonably enjoyable for some, and the game proved popular amongst hardened turn-based strategy fans out for a challenge. You see, Elven Legacy was rather difficult to say the least, a theme that appears to have been expanded on for the first of its expansion packs: Ranger.

//Chess with elves
Think of it as a very difficult chess match. Perhaps not quite Garry Kasparov level, but certainly county champion level. And that’s if you’re playing on easy. Bump it up to hard and you have to plan your moves with military precision if you want any hope of winning. Ranger takes no prisoners, and even if it did I bet it would torture them a little bit first anyway, just to remind them that they shouldn’t screw up the next time.

A lot of the challenge stems from the fact that quite frequently the stage will involve just lead character Cornelius, along with one or two other basic units, against what feels like an entire army of enemies. You’ll regularly be heavily outnumbered, making careful planning absolutely crucial. One particularly memorable level, one that occurs relatively early on in the game, involves scouting out a large area of enemy territory. Playing as only Cornelius against wave upon wave of enemies, it is almost impossible to complete. Cornelius can be wiped out from a mere two attacks.

The key to such sections is to play as defensively as possible, avoid a fight at all times and carefully inch around the surroundings, while still getting close enough to count as scouting the area according to the quest objectives. It really is crucial to use every turn effectively and to not take one wrong step. Perhaps needless to say, it took a number of attempts before I finally succeeded, and this is where we come to the real deciding factor of how much you will enjoy this expansion.

Much of the reasoning behind why Ranger could be seen as compelling comes from the satisfaction that completing a stage brings. The sense of achievement is huge when, on your fifth (or quite often 10th) attempt, you finally manage to achieve the level’s goals – even more so if you manage to gain a gold medal (the game’s way of ranking how well your strategies paid off) for doing so.

//Glutton for punishment
The problem with such a high difficulty level is that it’s not easy to recommend to anyone but a small group of players. And with a tutorial that feels unwieldy and vague, it’s a tall order to expect people to persevere. Even the early stages can be gruelling, and it isn’t uncommon to be wiped out within two or three moves. Concentration at all times is vital.

There may be the perverse satisfaction of finally completing a stage after sometimes hours of working out the best way to progress, but ultimately, there’s very little to hold your attention. The story may be reasonably interesting, but it’s been done countless times before, and this time around is no different in its approach. The combat system is what you would expect from any hex-based strategy game, making it frequently harsh for newcomers to the genre, but also distinctly ordinary for those familiar with it. Ranger just doesn’t offer anything new to make it worth persisting through the pain of regular defeat. Perhaps the multiplayer might have helped, but after numerous attempts to find a game, even a week after release, no one ever seemed available to play with.

For a very reasonable fee, Ranger offers 16 new missions and three new heroes, as well as a number of new spells. I have no doubt that countless hours could easily be spent working through the campaign, more so when taking into account the gold medals that can be achieved. But it remains a daunting ride that is rarely forgiving, and often feels more like work than play.

Go in with a stoic attitude and a refusal to be conquered, and you might just survive. Then again, you might just not care.

5/10

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