Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Encyclopedia of War: Ancient Battles revolves around a deceptively simple core concept: you design and fight your own ancient engagements, much like an elaborate game of chess brought to life on customizable battlefields. From selecting armies that stretch from the earliest civilizations through to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 475 A.D., you have complete control over unit composition, formation, and terrain. Each decision you make before the first skirmish can dramatically alter the flow of combat, rewarding careful planning and tactical foresight.

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The unit creation and terrain-design tools are surprisingly deep, giving you the freedom to recreate historical environments or devise entirely new ones. You can sculpt hills, rivers, and forests, then populate your map with legions of hoplites, phalanxes, barbarian warbands, or late-imperial heavy infantry. This level of customization means no two battles need ever look or play the same. Experienced wargamers will appreciate the attention to historical detail, while newcomers can simply enjoy experimenting with different combinations of forces and features.

Once your forces are in place, the battle itself unfolds in real time, yet with an emphasis on thoughtful strategy rather than twitch reactions. Units obey realistic line-of-sight and morale rules, requiring you to deploy flanking maneuvers, secure high ground, or punch holes in enemy lines. The AI commanders on both sides adhere to similar constraints, leading to tense back-and-forth engagements that can turn on a single well-placed attack. For fans of turn-based wargames, the continuous flow here keeps the action brisk without sacrificing depth.

In addition to custom setups, the game includes a roster of pre-configured scenarios that highlight key ancient conflicts. These curated battles—ranging from Greek hoplite clashes to late-Roman border skirmishes—offer guided challenges and historical context. They serve as both a tutorial for newer players and a proving ground for veterans looking to test advanced strategies against finely tuned opposition.

Graphics

Visually, Encyclopedia of War: Ancient Battles adopts a functional, top-down perspective designed to emphasize clarity over spectacle. The terrain tiles and unit icons are cleanly rendered, ensuring you can distinguish between different troop types, formations, and map features at a glance. While you won’t find high-fidelity character models or elaborate particle effects, the aesthetic works perfectly for what the game sets out to achieve: a clear view of strategic possibilities rather than cinematic flair.

The color palette leans toward muted earth tones—sandy plains, verdant forests, and slate-gray roads—that evoke the ancient world without overwhelming the interface. Subtle animations, such as marching columns, skirmish lines, and cavalry charges, bring the battlefield to life and help you follow the flow of combat. These motions are straightforward but effective, providing the necessary feedback to gauge unit status and morale in the heat of battle.

Zooming and panning controls are smooth, allowing you to focus in on microscopic details—like the wavering spearman in that crucial flank—or pull back for a strategic overview of the battlefield. Contextual overlays, such as movement ranges, line-of-sight cones, and morale indicators, can be toggled on or off to suit your preferred level of informational depth. This flexibility ensures that both casual observers and hardcore strategists can tailor the presentation to their liking.

Though the visuals are not aimed at pushing graphical boundaries, they strike an ideal balance between usability and historical ambiance. The interface design keeps critical commands and unit information within easy reach, preventing frustration during more complex engagements. Overall, the graphics complement the tactical focus, helping you concentrate on out-maneuvering your opponent rather than wrestling with the UI.

Story

Encyclopedia of War: Ancient Battles forgoes a linear narrative campaign in favor of letting you craft stories through the battles you orchestrate. While there’s no overarching plot or single protagonist, the historical flavor emerges through detailed scenario descriptions and army rosters. Each faction’s unique strengths and weaknesses—like the disciplined formations of Roman legionaries versus the fierce charges of Celtic warriors—tell a story of cultural and martial evolution across centuries.

The pre-designed scenarios come with background notes that recount the real-world events they represent, whether it’s a Hellenistic phalanx assault or the defense of a frontier outpost during the late Empire. These blurbs provide context, helping you understand the motivations behind troop movements and battlefield tactics. Although the game doesn’t dramatize events with cutscenes or voiced dialogue, the concise historical summaries are informative and never feel like dry textbook excerpts.

Where the story truly unfolds is in the aftermath of each clash. Casualties, retreats, and triumphant victories become part of your personal chronicle, and the sandbox nature means you’re free to rewrite history again and again. Succinct battle reports capture the highlights—flank collapses, heroic last stands, or tactical blunders—so you can relive the best moments and learn from your mistakes. Over time, these reports compile into a scrapbook of your own epic campaigns.

If you crave a hero’s journey or scripted twists, this might feel like a missed opportunity. Yet for players who prefer emergent storytelling and historical authenticity over cinematic presentation, the game delivers. Every battle becomes a fresh narrative shaped by your strategic acumen, and that freedom can be far more compelling than following a predetermined path.

Overall Experience

Encyclopedia of War: Ancient Battles stands out as a robust strategy simulator that caters to history enthusiasts, wargamers, and creative tacticians alike. Its strength lies in the seamless integration of deep customization tools with an accessible real-time system. Whether you’re a veteran of hex-and-counter board games or a newcomer intrigued by ancient warfare, you’ll find plenty to engage with across dozens of hours of play.

The learning curve can be steep—mastering unit counter-types, morale dynamics, and terrain advantages takes patience—but the included scenarios and clear UI aids shorten the journey. Replayability is exceptionally high thanks to the sandbox mentality: you can endlessly remix armies, tweak settings, and share memorable battles with friends or the online community. There’s genuine satisfaction in orchestrating a masterful ambush or rallying a faltering line to victory.

Performance on modern hardware is rock-solid, and the minimalistic visual approach means even modest systems run the game smoothly. Loading times are brief, and there’s little risk of graphical glitches disrupting your strategies. The sound design—simple clash and march effects backed by a restrained ambient soundtrack—provides an unobtrusive backdrop that keeps you focused on the clash of shields and spears.

Ultimately, Encyclopedia of War: Ancient Battles excels by delivering a strategic tabletop experience in a digital package. It forgoes bells and whistles in favor of depth, clarity, and historical scope. If you’re seeking a game that prioritizes tactical richness and endless replay options over cinematic polish, this title deserves a place in your library. Prepare to lose track of time crafting the perfect battle, because once you start, it’s hard to put down the reins of ancient warfare.

Retro Replay Score

6.3/10