One month ago, I had the privilege of experiencing the engrossing history and intrigue of Old World, a wonderful game developed by the talented team at Mohawk Games and published by Hooded Horse. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, and was ecstatic to have the opportunity to return to the Old World to experience the Heroes of the Aegean DLC. The main draw of the game was its use of real historical figures and adaptation of real history into campaign content, as well as its unique variation of a civilization management game which proved less complicated than the comparable Civilization franchise.
This DLC places you at the head of command during the many skirmishes between the slowly-unifying Greek tribes and the invading empire of Persia. You take control of many great figures, including Athenian General and Politician Themistocles and famed Spartan Warrior and King Leonidas. For the first two chapters of the campaign, civilization management takes a back-seat as you strictly control the military to strike back against the invading Persian armies. This simplification of the gameplay lends itself well to the focus on wartime and prevents resource-management from disrupting the flow of combat. Frantically leading a lone scout to the state of Sparta to call for reinforcements before The Battle of Marathon would be somewhat less impactful if it was bogged down by issues of cultural and scientific development.
On the subject of these historical battles, the scale and feeling is completely unmatched. Leading a relatively small force to strike desperately against the Persian Army in the Battle of Marathon is exhilarating, as each turn brings the Persian Fleet closer to landing and changing the course of history forever. The long buildup to actual conflict plays to the tension of the invasion, and the frantic dash to Sparta discussed above is worth mentioning again for the sheer scale of sprinting across the continent. This long run also plays into the history of Pheidippides, the messenger who ran from Marathon back to Athens to announce their victory and immediately died afterwards, inspiring fit people worldwide to run for precisely 26 miles and 385 yards (or 42.195 kilometers) and live just to spite him.
The second chapter is somehow even more exciting, and plays out the many battles fought with the Persians upon their return years later, now led by Xerxes the Second. Desperately clinging to any tactical advantage while striking down as many enemy troops as possible before losing everything as King Leonidas provides an entertaining look into the gravity of war, as you watch your units dwindle down to nothing under the oppressive onslaught of enemy bowmen while struggling to ensure each death comes at a price to your foes. (Frequently quoting 300 while doing so, at least in my experience) This is followed up by a naval engagement that hinges on tactical maneuvering and skill choice, as your meager fleet is outnumbered and has few advantages to speak of on the water. The better you had used your 300 men of Sparta, the more ships you will receive as a bonus to make it a fair fight. (This proved as a roadblock for my playthrough for quite a while until I discovered the versatility of abilities such as Grappler and Fireship) The final section of this chapter is an all-out war, uniting massive groups of units from all three Greek nations to combat an equally large Persian force in one final land battle.
From there, the remaining chapters open up into the more mixed elements of history: not every disagreement was cause for bloodshed, although it will always be an option if so desired. Chapter 3 re-introduces the state-management elements that were held back during the wars, allowing you to choose your policies as you see fit while attempting to unite the Greek states. Your first task in managing this fledgling empire is to deal with the nearby tribal groups that have caused trouble for you in the past, and the interpretation of “dealing with them” is completely up to you. It functions as adding more linear story and clear goals to the gameplay loop of the original game, and it succeeds at creating a more immersive world in the process.
If the future of Old World is to focus on different regions through DLCs exploring their rich history and playing through the warfare and intrigue that their leaders fought through, then I fully endorse it and look forward to seeing what their team is able to cook up next. As per usual, the music and sound design is on point and matches effortlessly with the beautiful visuals of the game. These polishing touches, combined with engrossing yet intuitive gameplay, effortlessly elevate Old World as one of the best civilization-management games I’ve ever played, perhaps even one of the best ever designed. This DLC easily matches the original at an 8 out of 10, and I look forward to whatever should come next.
As an aside, one of the historical figures who approaches you in the latter half of the DLC claims to be a descendant of Alexander the Great, which reminds me of some unfinished business.
Oh, Alexander…!
Old World is available for PC via Steam.
Gaming is a passion that I, like many other people, hold near and dear to my heart. As an aspiring Game Writer and general Storyteller, I enjoy looking into the vast worlds and deep stories of every game I can. Then again, sometimes bad guys just need a good pummeling, and I am more than happy to provide!
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