A Look at Majesty 2 Kingmaker - Discussion of what this Majesty 2 game is about , changes in campaign missions and other new features.

A Look at Majesty 2 Kingmaker - Discussion of what this  Majesty 2 game is about , changes in campaign missions and other new features.
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About the Game

The Majesty 2 Kingmaker expansion continues the story of the ruler of Ardania. Despite the fact that the Demon Lord was eliminated, the kingdom is still ravaged with other new vicious enemies including goblin creature hordes.

Generally, Majesty 2 Kingmaker plays in the same “sim” style as the other two releases. Heroes are motivated by gold bounties to do tasks based on the attack, defend and fear flags. However, the game itself has gone up a notch in difficulty. Many Majesty gamers may remember from the last release that campaign missions quickly went from manageable to downright hair pulling frustration (namely the final campaign mission). Kingmaker starts off with advanced missions, which does make sense since it is an expansion. However, enemies are a lot more aggressive and attack quickly. For those gamers with a more casual game play style, they are in for a rude awakening and will have to rethink their strategy tactics.

What is New?

Enemies are more frequent in every mission. You will see various types of goblins, who will attack in hordes. Other familiar creatures from Majesty 2 (like Ogres, Minotaurs and Dragons) are more aggressive and will spawn faster than before.

Each mission can use a randomized map in every campaign mission. This is an option that can be checked off before the mission begins. When active, the enemy dens and trading posts will be in different locations every time you play the mission. Otherwise, the standard map that was designed by the creators of Majesty 2 Kingmaker will apply.

Majesty 2 Kingmaker offers a map generator. It will allow you to create all characteristics of a customized map including size and texture of the landscape, obstacles, roads, trees, water, enemy spawns, available units and prohibited building zones. The process to use the editor does not seem to be that user friendly and casual non-technical people may want to stay away from it. The makers of Majesty 2 Kingmaker even issue use of this tool with an “at risk” warning.

Casting cost of Majesty spells appears on your mouse pointer when activated. Even though you can initially see the cost of the spell by clicking its icon, it is helpful to see it so you can keep an eye on how much gold you are spending.

Peasant building seems a bit faster even at 1X speed.

What’s Missing?

Majesty 2 Kingmaker screenshot

When a hero dies, you will not hear any comment made by them. This may or may not be good for you, depending on your style of play. Rogues and Rangers will ask for help when their health is low, so at least you have a chance of using the Cleric’s healing spell on them. If you don’t happen to catch this, then they can die without notice. However, you will still notice the skull and crossbones icon on the hero’s icon.

You no longer have access to the Orb of Sidrian (which increased gold temporarily), Mantle of Teevus (that restored the hero’s health over time) or the Scepter of Sidria (which damaged all enemies within its range of casting).

What Stays the Same ?

Besides game play, there are other similar features in Majesty 2 Kingmaker. These include:

  • Unfortunately, there are still a few typos in the text descriptions. The designers of the Majesty games have not seemed to catch on to this since the last release.
  • Music and voice for the Royal Advisor (that sounds like Sean Connery) remains the same.
  • Cost of heroes buildings, blacksmith, marketplace, castle and upgrades remain the same.
  • Wizards are still very weak at their early levels and will attack even when close to death.

The Campaign and Stand Alone Missions

Majesty 2 Kingmaker screenshot

In the Majesty 2 Kingmaker campaign, there are 8 total missions. Five are advanced level, while the other three are expert. There are also 8 standalone missions. One is an “example” mission that simply wants you to destroy three enemy dens. This should not be in this game. It is clearly designed for “newbies” that have not played any Majesty game. This will be a waste of time for veteran Majesty players. The other standalone missions are very similar to those in the original Majesty 2 game.

Overall Impressions

Majesty 2 Kingmaker is clearly created for veteran expert players of the series. There is no working into the difficult levels. Gamers are thrown in to aggressive missions where clever strategy will be very important to winning. However, the game is a worthy addition to the series. The new goblin enemies and campaign missions will provide hours of play and challenge. For others, the map generator may add a new dimension of game play. For fans of Majesty, this expansion is a definite must have.