1920+ 100 = 09/01/2020
Iron Harvest is set in the 1920+ universe , created by Jakub Różalski. If a lamp lit on board game fans reading this, it means that they have rightly connected this universe with the popular game Scythe . Both titles share not only the setting and the sides of the conflict, but also characters. Thanks to this, we will be able to admire the struggles of Anna Kos, Gunter von Duisburg and other kids on the screens. We will also get to know new faces created for the game. It is worth noting that Różalski is not the only artist from Poland who worked on the game – the composer is Adam Skorupa, whose portfolio includes the soundtrack of Green Hell , the first Witcher and Bulletstorm .
“Oldschool base-building RTS” – very oldschool , little basebuilding
Iron Harvest’s antiquity can be seen from the very beginning. The menu includes a campaign, skirmishes, multiplayer and challenges. Nothing revealing, artisanal work. In the first case, we have a choice of 3 series of missions – one for each faction (Polania, Saxony and Rusviet). The plot exists, but most often it is just an excuse for the user to start another mission. I felt like I was going through a glorified tutorial and quickly quit the campaign to be beaten on my own to learn the multiplayer game.
When it comes to the gameplay layer, I miss buildings – from the Oldschool base-building RTS slogan , which is proudly welcomed by Reddit production, there might not be a middle turn. In short, the only options for building a base are barracks and a mechanic’s workshop. Of course, there are also field fortifications: there are barbed wire, improved bunkers and sandbags – a classic of the genre and nothing that would make a player fall on their knees.
The differences between the factions themselves are noticeable, but most often they can be presented on a graph with two values - the discussed variables are movement speed and armor. Polania and Rusviet have lighter and more maneuverable units, while Saxony, during the entire August beta, definitely distinguished itself by endurance and slowness on the battlefield. Each faction also has unique equipment for its subordinates. A great example of the differences between the parties to the conflict is the infantry – in the barracks of each nation there is a unique unit – in the case of the Republic of Polania, they are soldiers from the LKM, Saxony – medics, and Rusviet – flamethrowers.
Déjà vu
I’ve just been in this place before
Let’s face it – to mention that the creators were inspired by the series by Relic Entertainment is to say nothing. The production is identical to Company of Heroes on practically every possible level. It is no wonder – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and both parts of the series, set in the realities of the other side of the world, are still considered to be one of the best games in the genre. Inspiration, however, is a dangerous weapon – the game, at the authors’ request, is immediately classified as a copy of the current representatives of the genre.
We see the similarities between Iron Harvest and Company of Heroes 2 everywhere – in the colors, on the map the player uses, or even in the menu. At the level of the gameplay itself, it is familiar to generate resources by controlling the map or the soundtrack. Personally, I find it an exaggeration that even before turning on Iron Harvest , seeing the game icon on the desktop, I am able to immediately connect it with a title that I have not had contact with in three years.
Little innovation
You cannot accuse the creators of a total lack of innovation, however, all changes are minor and quite cosmetic. Among the novelties, I approve that not only resource points are scattered across the map, but also weapon crates. This is a well-thought-out addition, and the creators ensured the symmetry of the “collectibles” – thanks to this, there is no situation that we will pick up something objectively less useful than the opponent. The universality of infantry is also nice – each group of shooters can change their equipment if they have the opportunity to do so (most often it means destroying a squad of non-militants, but you can also pick up something after fallen comrades in arms). Of course, the heroes from the 1920+ universe are also a novelty – each faction has three heroes to choose from. They differ significantly not only in stats and skills, but also in when we can summon a unit.
ALE PHASE!
In the case of multi-person struggles, we can talk about phases. These are the moments when we improve the base, which increases our unit limit on the battlefield and summon reinforcements selected before the loading screen. The pre-match selection menu for support units is a simple solution and the whole process takes about two minutes. In this way, the creators added depth to the title in an elegant way – thanks to this solution, we can in theory count on the fact that the games will be less repetitive. Personally, I find it a big plus.
In practice, we can play the matter of reinforcements in 3 ways – prepare a set of units that will help us in a quick victory right after the first base upgrade, choose an endgame in which we can summon the strongest behemoths, or summon the cheapest units twice, choosing the amount. As you can see, everything depends on our fantasy and previous (most painful) experiences related to the multiplayer game.
Company of Heroes with mechs
Despite all the complaints, I am impressed with how much progress the production has made since the open beta debut in August. I think that thanks to the balance changes the game escaped from the hangman’s ax – the improvements allowed it to achieve the status of “good”, not just “okay”. Iron Harvest is solidly made, the network code has not failed in any of the dozens of games I have played, and the gameplay itself is addictive. Is it enough to step out of the shadow of Company of Heroes ? We will know the answer soon, although we can be sure that the creators will not rest in this unequal fight for the coming months – support for the game has been declared with free add-ons, and two new factions will appear in them.
We would like to thank Koch Media Poland for providing a copy of the game for review.
