Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
Encyclopedia
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom is an action roleplaying video game developed by Blueside
and published by Microsoft Game Studios
exclusively for the Xbox 360
. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Under Fire series and the first released for the seventh generation of consoles
. Chronologically the game's story follows Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders
released in 2004.
It was first released in Australia
on December 5, 2007, followed by Japan
on December 13, 2007 then later in North America
on January 8, 2008 and in Europe
on February 1, 2008.
Unlike the previous Kingdom Under Fire games in the series, Circle of Doom's lacks the real-time strategy
elements, with much of the gameplay focus being on hack and slash
combat.
role-play, much in the vein of dungeon crawlers and focuses entirely on the player’s chosen character out of five (sixth can be unlocked), thus lacking the real-time strategy
formula of the previous games. Much of the gameplay revolves around close quarter combat with multiple AI controlled opponents throughout each level. As the player progresses with each kill, they gain experience that eventually leads to gaining a level, the maximum being level 120. Each time the player levels up they receive a given number of experience points to boost their overall health, skill points and luck. Higher-level players will also be able to wield better weapons and armour and allow more options for magic use. Levels are also generated at random, with differing paths and amount of foes between each (while foes are still confined to certain areas) and destructible environments with the use of heavier weapons.
While the player has a standard health bar, the skill points forms another (SP bar) that when the player performs an attack or uses magic, their SP becomes depleted and recovers when nothing is performed, so the player will be unable to attack if there isn’t enough SP at that moment of use. The more SP and the faster rate it can recover allow longer chains of attacks. The Luck skill determines the quantity and quality of loot and gold dropped by slain foes. The Luck skill can also help in the game’s "synthesis" system, one which lets players pay gold combine items to improve one, for example combing a powerful weapon with a weaker one will result in its overall attack power being somewhere in between, with enchantments from both also present. Luck improves the chances of a successful synthesis along with a larger investment of gold.
Items can also be bought and sold when the player encounters an Idol in each level that serves as buyers and sellers of various items. There are three different Idols in total; Death, Love and Greed who excel more in certain items than others who appear at certain times of the in game’s "moon phases". The Idol also provides a safe sanctuary where foes cannot enter, thus allowing players to "sleep". When the player sleeps, they appear in the dream world where they interact with other characters who progress the story by providing quests, insight and allowing players to learn new skills, most usually requiring a certain number of particular foes to be killed. Magic and weapons can assigned to 4 commands buttons on the Xbox 360 controller at any given time, X and A buttons for use of weapons/attack and B and the right trigger for use of magic. Potions that can quickly boost health and SP or cure magic affects inflicted by enemies can be applied to the left and right bumper buttons. The player also has Accessory slots where armour and stat increasing jewellery are applied for effect, more being available for purchase from Idols.
The game features three difficulty levels; Normal, Hard and Extreme that differ between the strength of foes, but however only Normal can be played to begin with and the other difficulties are unlocked by completing Normal (then Hard for Extreme mode) and are only playable with the character that unlocked them.
Circle of Doom also allows up to four players to play through each level and corresponding boss fights over Xbox Live
. This allows joining players to play through levels they have yet to progress to as long as the host has = players that receive items and experience online will still reap the benefit for their character offline at the same time, thus allowing players to trade items and complete quests with others but foes toughness increases the more players there are. The Xbox Live headset is also supported for use.
Upon release, Circle of Doom was met with mixed responses, with an average critic score of 56% at Game Rankings
based on 46 reviews. Official Xbox Magazine
praised the game, enjoying the lack of RTS elements of its predecessors, delivering a more "straight-up combo-heavy hack-and-slash action" that "manages to look lovely while you slap around your foes" while Play Magazine
noted the variety in usable items to mix up gameplay, that "you've never had this much fun tinkering with weapons, spells, and items--I guarantee it." Cheat Code Central
pointed out that due to the more basic gameplay elements, that more old-school gamers would enjoy it more than others, that "If you're a fan of the tried-and-true action-RPG formula, then this one won't disappoint" but if not then "may not be your cup of mead
."
A common criticism was directed at the basic gameplay causing repetition. GameSpot
found that while "slicing your way through the hordes is as compelling as you would expect from the genre", being "a proven one", the "action gets incredibly repetitive". They however noted that the online co-op over Xbox Live "can increase the entertainment value significantly". UGO
concluded that while "there's entertaining gameplay to be found at the core of Circle of Doom", they felt it was "overwhelmed by too much repetition" and pointed out the massive differences between it and the previous titles in the series that "for any fun there is to be had, it's tough not to wonder what BlueSide was thinking in calling this a Kingdom Under Fire game." GameSpy
also felt disappointed over the "minimal amount of direct character customization" and felt the skill points player stat would be the "most annoying aspect of the game for button-mashers".
On the game's story, Game Trailers found it "vague" and IGN
felt it was more of a way of providing simple variety in character choice that "you feel a bit like you're playing a separate adventure rather than just a new character" yet found the dialogue "cheesy" and "comical". They did however find the soundtrack to be one of its highest points, being "a reasonably powerful soundtrack that chimes in when moments of action are about to transpire". Eurogamer
however thought it was an "insanely inappropriate repetitive metal guitar noodling".
External links=
Blueside
Blueside is a video game publisher and developer located in Seoul, South Korea.. It is mainly known for its popular Xbox game series Kingdom Under Fire.-Developed Titles:*Xbox** 2004 - Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders...
and published by Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
exclusively for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Under Fire series and the first released for the seventh generation of consoles
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
. Chronologically the game's story follows Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders
Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders
Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders is a tactical wargame developed by the Korean studio Phantagram for the Xbox. It is the sequel to the 2001 game Kingdom Under Fire: A War of Heroes, and continues its storyline...
released in 2004.
It was first released in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on December 5, 2007, followed by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on December 13, 2007 then later in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on January 8, 2008 and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on February 1, 2008.
Unlike the previous Kingdom Under Fire games in the series, Circle of Doom's lacks the real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
elements, with much of the gameplay focus being on hack and slash
Hack and slash
Hack and slash or hack and slay, abbreviated H&S or HnS, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat. "Hack and slash" was originally used to describe an aspect of pen-and-paper role-playing games , carrying over from there to MUDs, MMORPGs, and video games in general...
combat.
Premise
The story begins when Nibel The Lord of Light made a pact with Encablossa Lord of Darkness, the pact being that each lord will rule his age and the other will wait until the other finish his rule. But eons pass and Nibel grows weary of seeing his creatures becoming monsters and being tortured so when the Age of Light was about to end Nibel didn't give his rule to Encablossa. Encablossa was angry so he gathered his Dark Legion and attacked the world, many ages pass but in Crusaders, Walter's soldiers destroyed the ancient heart (a powerful relic and the center of the conflict in 'Kingdom Under Fire') and Encablossa appeared in the form of a great demon, but he is defeated By Kendal and Regnier's forces but the heroes then become trapped in Encablossa's Dimension as old heroes. In Regnier's campaign it is explained that the dark dimension is about to explode with the resulting blast poised to consume both dimensions.Gameplay
Unlike the previous instalments in the Kingdom Under Fire series, Circle of Doom is entirely a hack and slashHack and slash
Hack and slash or hack and slay, abbreviated H&S or HnS, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat. "Hack and slash" was originally used to describe an aspect of pen-and-paper role-playing games , carrying over from there to MUDs, MMORPGs, and video games in general...
role-play, much in the vein of dungeon crawlers and focuses entirely on the player’s chosen character out of five (sixth can be unlocked), thus lacking the real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
formula of the previous games. Much of the gameplay revolves around close quarter combat with multiple AI controlled opponents throughout each level. As the player progresses with each kill, they gain experience that eventually leads to gaining a level, the maximum being level 120. Each time the player levels up they receive a given number of experience points to boost their overall health, skill points and luck. Higher-level players will also be able to wield better weapons and armour and allow more options for magic use. Levels are also generated at random, with differing paths and amount of foes between each (while foes are still confined to certain areas) and destructible environments with the use of heavier weapons.
While the player has a standard health bar, the skill points forms another (SP bar) that when the player performs an attack or uses magic, their SP becomes depleted and recovers when nothing is performed, so the player will be unable to attack if there isn’t enough SP at that moment of use. The more SP and the faster rate it can recover allow longer chains of attacks. The Luck skill determines the quantity and quality of loot and gold dropped by slain foes. The Luck skill can also help in the game’s "synthesis" system, one which lets players pay gold combine items to improve one, for example combing a powerful weapon with a weaker one will result in its overall attack power being somewhere in between, with enchantments from both also present. Luck improves the chances of a successful synthesis along with a larger investment of gold.
Items can also be bought and sold when the player encounters an Idol in each level that serves as buyers and sellers of various items. There are three different Idols in total; Death, Love and Greed who excel more in certain items than others who appear at certain times of the in game’s "moon phases". The Idol also provides a safe sanctuary where foes cannot enter, thus allowing players to "sleep". When the player sleeps, they appear in the dream world where they interact with other characters who progress the story by providing quests, insight and allowing players to learn new skills, most usually requiring a certain number of particular foes to be killed. Magic and weapons can assigned to 4 commands buttons on the Xbox 360 controller at any given time, X and A buttons for use of weapons/attack and B and the right trigger for use of magic. Potions that can quickly boost health and SP or cure magic affects inflicted by enemies can be applied to the left and right bumper buttons. The player also has Accessory slots where armour and stat increasing jewellery are applied for effect, more being available for purchase from Idols.
The game features three difficulty levels; Normal, Hard and Extreme that differ between the strength of foes, but however only Normal can be played to begin with and the other difficulties are unlocked by completing Normal (then Hard for Extreme mode) and are only playable with the character that unlocked them.
Circle of Doom also allows up to four players to play through each level and corresponding boss fights over Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. This allows joining players to play through levels they have yet to progress to as long as the host has = players that receive items and experience online will still reap the benefit for their character offline at the same time, thus allowing players to trade items and complete quests with others but foes toughness increases the more players there are. The Xbox Live headset is also supported for use.
Characters
- Kendal- A hero who was trapped in Encablossa's body. Now, he is suffering a mutation but he promised Walter that he would bring the light again. General of the Ecclesian Army, Kendal possesses an unusually calm demeanor, even in intense combat situations. He is outwardly passionate about his duty and his faith, but even he houses doubts in his heart.
- Weapons: Mace, Shield, Hammer, Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow
- Regnier- The former immortal Lord of Hexter, Regnier lost much of his power, including his immortality, during the events of The Crusaders. Though still mighty in his own right, Regnier is plagued with doubt. He is determined to endure and continue on, as he always has.
- Weapons: Great sword, Gauntlet, Iron Chain, Hand Cannon, Throwing Blades
- Celine- An Elven Queen from a time past, driven by her desire to restore her love, Curian.
- Weapons: Rapier, Dagger, Bow, Throwing Knife, Sling
- Leinhart- Prince of Vellond, Leinhart has served as Regnier's right hand for many years. His mind is in chaos as his desire for power, his unrequited love for the half-vampire Morene, and his respect for his father struggle for control.
- Weapons: Dual Katana, Daikatana, Wakizashi, Shuriken, Kusarigama
- Duane- Formerly Kendal's sub-officer, Duane is a relation of the Ecclesian patriarch. He is motivated by personal desire and has no respect for the beliefs of others.
- Weapons: Flails, Morning stars, Gun Swords, Pistols, Gatling guns
- Curian- The King of Azilla, Curian is saved from his mutation by Celine.
- Weapons: Swords, Halberds, Spears, Wrist bows, Shields
- Encablossa- The Lord of Darkness who planned on taking revenge on Nible, Lord of Light, for breaking a pact made between the two many years ago to govern the world. He was pushed back into his own dimension by the warriors of Light but is still alive. He plays an unknown but vital role in Regniers storyline.
- Weapons: None(NPC)
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Official Xbox Magazine Official Xbox Magazine Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and... |
8/10 |
| IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... |
5.8/10 |
| Game Informer Game Informer Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations... |
5.25/10 |
| GameSpy GameSpy GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current... |
2.5/5 |
| Eurogamer Eurogamer Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on... |
5/10 |
| GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which... |
6/10 |
| Play Magazine Play (US magazine) Play was a U.S.-based magazine focused on video games, anime, manga, film, DVD, television, comics, music and media. Published by Fusion Publishing, Inc. since 2001, Play magazine also had a separate Internet presence on its website, Play Online... |
8/10 |
| Game Trailers | 5.9 |
| UGO UGO UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment... |
C+ |
| Famitsu Famitsu is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD... |
27/40 |
Upon release, Circle of Doom was met with mixed responses, with an average critic score of 56% at Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
based on 46 reviews. Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
praised the game, enjoying the lack of RTS elements of its predecessors, delivering a more "straight-up combo-heavy hack-and-slash action" that "manages to look lovely while you slap around your foes" while Play Magazine
Play (US magazine)
Play was a U.S.-based magazine focused on video games, anime, manga, film, DVD, television, comics, music and media. Published by Fusion Publishing, Inc. since 2001, Play magazine also had a separate Internet presence on its website, Play Online...
noted the variety in usable items to mix up gameplay, that "you've never had this much fun tinkering with weapons, spells, and items--I guarantee it." Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central is a video game website primarily known for its extensive list of cheat codes. Cheat Code Central, also known as CCC and CheatCC, offers previews, reviews, news, and various articles on the gaming industry...
pointed out that due to the more basic gameplay elements, that more old-school gamers would enjoy it more than others, that "If you're a fan of the tried-and-true action-RPG formula, then this one won't disappoint" but if not then "may not be your cup of mead
Mead
Mead , also called honey wine, is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water. It may also be produced by fermenting a solution of water and honey with grain mash, which is strained immediately after fermentation...
."
A common criticism was directed at the basic gameplay causing repetition. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
found that while "slicing your way through the hordes is as compelling as you would expect from the genre", being "a proven one", the "action gets incredibly repetitive". They however noted that the online co-op over Xbox Live "can increase the entertainment value significantly". UGO
UGO
UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment...
concluded that while "there's entertaining gameplay to be found at the core of Circle of Doom", they felt it was "overwhelmed by too much repetition" and pointed out the massive differences between it and the previous titles in the series that "for any fun there is to be had, it's tough not to wonder what BlueSide was thinking in calling this a Kingdom Under Fire game." GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
also felt disappointed over the "minimal amount of direct character customization" and felt the skill points player stat would be the "most annoying aspect of the game for button-mashers".
On the game's story, Game Trailers found it "vague" and IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
felt it was more of a way of providing simple variety in character choice that "you feel a bit like you're playing a separate adventure rather than just a new character" yet found the dialogue "cheesy" and "comical". They did however find the soundtrack to be one of its highest points, being "a reasonably powerful soundtrack that chimes in when moments of action are about to transpire". Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
however thought it was an "insanely inappropriate repetitive metal guitar noodling".
External links=
- Kingdom Under Fire: Circle Of Doom , official website