Like gazing across an open plain, it's easy to see from where
Hills and Rivers Remain is coming. This simple strategy game treads recognisable terrain cloaked in the threads of a philosophical plot. Unfortunately, thin storytelling
and the lack of multiplayer leave the average gameplay exposed.
In a war against the rival nation of Herbert, you take up arms as Alan, commander of the Julius army. The conflict quickly spins out of control
and what was a petty rivalry turns into all-out war with the neighbouring nations of Frost
and Sandia too.
You start each battle in control of a single territory, the goal being to seize enough land so as to overwhelm
and wipe enemy forces from the map. Instead of roaming free among territories, a network of paths link fortresses, castles, stables,
and other landmarks together. Units can only be moved along these paths.
On the open plainTapping one of your territories prompts a slider, which allows you to select the number of units you want to move. Once set, you then tap the adjacent territory you want to invade. You can't recall forces on the move, so each move must be considered carefully.
Such binary strategy - move or don't move - restricts
Hills and Rivers Remain from having depth, though other elements strive to provide some.
Randomly discovered items are stored in an inventory
and can be used at will to boost defence, attack power,
and even speed up troop movement. Battles can be won without them, but they definitely provide an edge.
Territorial armiesOf greater consideration are special territories, including stables that increase unit movement speed
and castles that raise attack power when occupied. Ownership of these territories often determines who wins a battle. As such, devising a plan for victory on a given level means including a strategy for seizing these critical locations.
Even with items
and special territories,
Hills and Rivers Remain retains little depth. It's briefly entertaining, yet the wince-worthy plot in Story mode
and lack of multiplayer offer few reasons for return.
Free mode, which rehashes battles from the campaign, entices some replay - however, multiplayer in local or online form is really needed to bring the game in line with competing titles such as
Galcon.
As effortless a play as
Hills and Rivers Remain might be, average gameplay guarantees a decent, though far from earth-shattering experience.
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