Manor Lords: Early Reviews Suggest It’s a Masterpiece

Manor Lords’ release date is on its way. Coming on April 26, we are all looking forward to seeing what the city-building strategy game will bring. We have all been amazed by the visuals and attention to detail that Slavic Magic managed to achieve. Considering Slavic Magic is a solo developer, we are all impressed by what Greg Styczen has done.

He has managed to bring the medieval world to life through a combination of a city-building simulation and real-time strategy. We will run through what we can expect from Manor Lords and have a look at what the early reviews suggest. It is already the most wishlisted game on Steam, so it will definitely have the opportunity to make a lasting impression.

Manor Lords: Expectations and Reviews

If one thing has jumped out at most gamers when taking a look at Manor Lords, it's the attention to detail. Choosing to avoid medieval tropes that people think are cliché and focusing on historical accuracy, Slavic Magic has opened up a world in which we will all happily lose ourselves for hours.

As soon as I entered the game I laughed. Not a “haha” this is a funny laugh, an ecstatic laugh. I accidentally zoomed the camera so far out that I was in the clouds. I scrolled out further until a map screen appeared, and then back down, all the way down until I was in between each blade of grass. I truly couldn’t believe it. 

The level of detail is unparalleled for the genre, and I can’t imagine how much work went into this.

-Ryan Oberg, Magnetic Magazine

When you build your village in Manor Lords, you won’t be using a grid system like most city-building games, you will be able to run roads wherever you like and create whatever shape settlement you want. When you build houses, you will see the villagers bring the logs over and put together the frame, walls, and roof in real time.

There is no three-stage animation like we have learned to expect. Then you will tell your villagers that you want them to grow some carrots, farm some eggs, or produce whatever you want so your settlement can eat.

You will grow everything you need to craft every item, ranging from clothing to ammunition for warfare and more. You are the lord of the village, and every decision is yours to make, no matter how small.

My honest review is that this Early Access demo, feels so complete despite being incomplete. The only issue I’ve come across was my villagers wouldn’t claim the jobs I had added them to, however this more likely is a symptom of my own stupidity.

So Greg, the Manor Lords Developer, I say this unto you, you are an artist and I have never been so excited for a game to come out in so very long. Thank you.

-CannonChap0913 on Reddit

When it comes to the warfare on Manor Lords, we have yet to experience any large-scale battles but we have seen what it is like to have bandits or small groups attack. As it would have happened in history the main force that would defend your settlement will be the villagers themselves. You can assign your people to be a part of the militia and when you have purchased or crafted the appropriate equipment, they will be able to protect your village.

Not only can your militia defend your lands, but they will go about their lives as normal until you tell them to assemble to engage the enemy. They will drop their baskets and farm equipment, pick up their spears, and run to help. At a later date, you might be able to train specific soldiers or guards but at the early stages of Manor Lords, your villagers have to look after themselves.

They all grab their shields and spears and line up as you order. It’s actually really cool to see. It feels like these villagers are living and breathing members of a real location and community.

­- Morphologis

We might all be a little disappointed to hear that it doesn’t look like a multiplayer experience is on the horizon. Greg Styczen announced that he is focusing on making Manor Lords single-player at first but is willing to consider adding multiplayer aspects at a later date.

We can all expect a steep learning curve for Manor Lords because, from everything we have seen, Slavic Magic is improving on what we have learned to expect from RTS city-builders. It will be complex and immersive with multiple choices. We are going to have to try hard if we want our settlement to thrive, but we will have a city as grand as any in our imagination at the end of it. 

That’s everything you need to know about Manor Lords going forward. When April 26 hits, we will see if everything we have heard about the game is true and if we can happily spend hours growing our very own medieval village into a town to be proud of. Only time will tell. We remain eager to start.