Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders is a tactical wargame

Tactical wargame

Tactical wargames are a type of wargame that models military conflict at a tactical level, i.e. units range from individual vehicles and squads to platoons or companies. These units are rated based on types and ranges of individual weaponry...

 developed by the Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n studio Phantagram

Phantagram

Phantagram is a video game development studio based in South Korea. It is mainly known for its popular Xbox game series Kingdom Under Fire. Phantagram also co-developed the fantasy/strategy action game Ninety-Nine Nights with Q Entertainment, for the Xbox 360...

 for the Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

. It is the sequel to the 2001 game Kingdom Under Fire: A War of Heroes

Kingdom Under Fire: A War of Heroes

Kingdom Under Fire: A War of Heroes is a real-time strategy video game developed by Phantagram and published by Gathering of Developers. Released for Windows in 2001, the game is based in a high fantasy setting and is played from an overhead isometric perspective...

, and continues its storyline. Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders combines third-person action and role-playing

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

 elements in its gameplay, which differs from its predecessor.

Its sequel is Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes

Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes

Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes is an action strategy game, the prequel to Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders, released in 2005 for the Xbox.-Gameplay:...

. Another sequel is to be released in 2011 entitled Kingdom Under Fire II

Kingdom Under Fire II

Kingdom Under Fire II is an upcoming video game set in a high fantasy setting being developed by Blueside which merges real-time strategy , role playing game and massively multiplayer online game genres - the game will have a single player, and online multiplayer mode.The game follow...

 for PC

Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

, 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...

 and PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders contains elements from the popular game Dynasty Warriors

Dynasty Warriors

is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...

and aspects of various role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

s. As well as controlling the main character, the player fights with multiple armies or "units", which are controlled in real-time with either a minimap or the main screen. When the main character's unit engages in mêlée with an enemy unit, the gameplay is similar to Dynasty Warriors.

Any unit in close-quarter combat cannot be used for anything else until the combat is resolved; an exception to this is when two units are in close-quarter combat with the enemy: one unit can retreat one unit whilst the other keeps the enemy unit occupied.

Units

The unit-types of the game include:

• Infantry
  Infantry
  Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
  
  : Engage units in melee.
• Archers
  Archers
  Archers may refer to:*People who practice archery*The Royal Company of Archers, a Scottish ceremonial unit*The Archers, long running BBC Radio 4 soap opera*"The Archers", nickname for British film-making partnership of Powell and Pressburger...
  
  : Fire at ground and air targets. Dark Legion archers may fire from horses and Ballista
  Ballista
  The ballista , plural ballistae, was an ancient missile weapon which launched a large projectile at a distant target....
  
  s can target air units as well
• Artillery
  Artillery
  Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
  
  : (catapults, mortars, ballistas) Engages units indirectly from a long range.
• Airborne units: Engages units from the air, where only archers, specially designed ballistas, and magic can attack them.
• Cavalry
  Cavalry
  Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
  
  : Does not actually engage in close combat but charges around and through the battlefield, disrupting ranks and causing massive troop damage.
• Sappers: Lays traps that serious damages enemy troops and can also set fire to forests. Can be used as a substitute for infantry. Pyrotechs for the Human Alliance may lay mines which causes more damage.
• Mortars
  Mortar (weapon)
  A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
  
  : Functions just like archers with the exception to target air units but can take down castle walls. (Human Alliance only)
• Spearmen: Specialized troop which can take down enemy cavalry and immobilize troops in front of them. The Dark Legion version of spearmen are Orc Axemen
• Support Units: Units such as Storm Riders, Bomber Wings, Wyverns, Swamp Mammoths, and Dirigibles that can cause massive damage to the enemy.
• Scorpions: Huge living siege weapons that can take down castle walls and can be used as infantry. They are also invulnerable to arrows. (Dark Legion Exclusive)
• Orc Ghouls: Dead Orcs risen from the grave that have very high defense but are vulnerable to holy. Can send a Orc to self destruct as a siege weapon. (Dark Legion Exclusive)

Combat magic

Besides normal combat, spells can be used in the battlefield. Most combat units can learn any kind of spell. Spells allow units to throw fireballs, call down meteors, heal the player's army, or send ghoulish suicide bombs to enemy forces.

The world

Kingdom Under Fire is set on the continent of Bersia, which is occupied by the following military powers:

• Ecclesia: A religious kingdom on the west coast of Bersia.
• Hironeiden: Another Human Kingdom south of Ecclesia.
• Azilia: A puppet kingdom controlled by Ecclesia.
• Arein: An elvish kingdom within Hironeiden.
• Vellond: The dark elf state ruled by half vampires.
• Hexter: A country full of orc and ogre tribes, commonwealth of Vellond.

Characters

Human Alliance

• Gerald
  • Main Weapon: One-handed sword
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Kendal
  • Main Weapon: Warhammer and mace
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Walden
  • Main Weapon: Sword and shield
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Rupert
  • Main Weapon: Two-Handed War Hammer
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Ellen
  • Main Weapon: Rapier and Bow
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Sir Duane
  • Main Weapon: Double Morning Stars
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Thomas
  • Main Weapon: Small Mace and Small Shield
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

Dark Legion

• Lucretia
  • Main Weapon: Double Scimitars
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Cirith
  • Main Weapon: One Handed Sword
  • Main Skill: Mêlée, Magic

• Rithrin
  • Main Weapon: One-Handed Sword
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Morene Strident
  • Main Weapon: Two Bone Blades
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Regnier
  • Main Weapon: Greatsword
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Leinhart
  • Main Weapon:One Handed Scimitar
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

• Urukubarr
  • Main Weapon: Bare Hands
  • Main Skill: Mêlée

Reviews

The game was very well received receiving an average scores of over 80% on aggregate, with few minor criticisms.