Majesty: Northern Expansion

Every so often, even the most politically neutral individual will admit that he believes he could do a better job than the current ruling party.

While HeroCraft’s Majesty series doesn’t allow you to solve the Euro Crisis or save the NHS from the chopping block, it does permit you to experience what it’s like to rule an entire kingdom.

Like its predecessor, Majesty: Northern Expansion sees you constructing an empire rather than picking up the sword and shield yourself.

You’re very much in charge of administration here. You naturally have warriors, wizards, and other underlings, but they follow their own paths throughout the fantasy world. You can tempt them into combat with promises of riches, but on the whole they act independently.

The relative autonomy of your subjects frees you up to oversee expansion, upgrades, and the recruitment of new troops. A warriors' guild allows you to hire burly knights, while a wizards' guild enables you to add spell-casters to your ranks.

A blacksmith will furnish your warriors with better weapons and armour, while simultaneously earning you cash. The same can be said of a marketplace, which will trade with your people for useful items. To top it all off, your trusty tax collector brings in more moolah, ensuring the kingdom’s coffers remain topped-up.

Majesty is therefore an engaging exercise in resource-management. You have to safeguard your town from attack by hiring sufficient warriors, building watchtowers, and singling out enemy bases for pillage. By offering a hefty reward, you can encourage your hired hands to fight for death and glory.

All of this will no doubt sound very familiar indeed to anyone who was lucky enough to enjoy the previous Android-based Majesty title. Very little has changed, aside from the somewhat colder environments.

Which is why this has been named the ‘Northern Expansion’. It doesn’t attempt to totally reinvent the game, but rather offer players and fans more missions to fight their way through.

One thing to note: since we covered the original game, there’s been an explosion in Android tablets. Majesty: Northern Expansion looks positively gorgeous on a large display, thanks to its pin-sharp visuals. If you can play it on anything, make it a tablet - it really does enrich the experience.

Some people may feel slightly aggrieved that this title and its direct forerunner are so similar. If you played the first Majesty and came away unimpressed, don’t expect this outing to change your perception of the franchise. However, hardcore fans and strategy buffs alike will discover that a challenging and entertaining adventure awaits.