Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Lords of EverQuest offers a distinctive blend of real-time strategy and role-playing mechanics that sets it apart from other titles in the genre. As you marshal your forces across varied landscapes, the emphasis on hero-driven tactics transforms every skirmish into a dynamic chess match. Each alliance—Shadowrealm, Dawn Brotherhood, and Eldaar Alliance—brings its own unique units and strategic flair, ensuring that no two campaigns feel the same.

At the heart of the experience are the fifteen playable lords, each a powerful unit capable of turning the tide of battle. These lords level up alongside your troops, unlocking new abilities that range from devastating area-of-effect spells to subtle sabotage tactics. Deciding which lord to deploy in a mission becomes a critical choice: will you bolster your front line with a stalwart warrior, or unleash a cunning assassin deep behind enemy lines?

Resource management in Lords of EverQuest is streamlined, focusing solely on platinum mining. This design choice shifts the emphasis from base-building micromanagement to battlefield strategy and unit composition. While purists may miss having multiple resource types, the singular focus on platinum ensures a faster-paced game where decision-making and tactical maneuvering reign supreme.

Another gameplay highlight is the ability to transfer a limited number of units between missions, fostering a sense of continuity and attachment. Veteran soldiers, once seasoned and customized, carry both their gear and expensively-earned experience forward. This RPG-style progression keeps players invested, as every victory can further empower your chosen champions and unlock new strategic possibilities.

Graphics

Visually, Lords of EverQuest remains faithful to the established aesthetic of the EverQuest universe, albeit rendered through a slightly dated late-90s engine. Terrain textures range from lush green forests to dark, oppressive shadow realms, each evoking the mood of its respective alliance. While polygon counts are modest by today’s standards, the vibrant color palettes and atmospheric lighting effects still deliver a compelling backdrop for your campaigns.

Unit models for each race have distinct silhouettes and animations, making it easy to distinguish elves from ogres, or dwarves from froglocks, even in the thick of battle. Spell effects and ability animations feel weighty and impactful, with explosions and spell circles adding both visual clarity and grandeur to key moments. The camera perspective stays close enough to appreciate individual animations but far enough out to maintain battlefield awareness.

While modern gamers might notice aliasing or simpler geometry compared to contemporary RTS titles, the game’s art direction carries it through. Environment design—ancient ruins, sprawling fortresses, and subterranean warrens—remains evocative and true to EverQuest lore. Subtle details like ambient particle effects and weather transitions enrich the world without overwhelming the hardware.

The user interface is clean and functional, with unit portraits and ability icons that are easy to read. Tooltips provide essential information about spells, lord abilities, and unit stats. Although the UI does not feature advanced customization or large-scale minimap toggles found in newer releases, it is intuitive enough for newcomers and seasoned RTS veterans alike to navigate without frustration.

Story

Set ten thousand years before the events of the original EverQuest, Lords of EverQuest delves into a primordial era of conflict and magic. The overarching narrative is divided into three campaigns—one for each alliance—each presenting a different perspective on the looming war. This intertwining structure encourages players to explore all three sides of the story and uncover the hidden threads that bind them.

The Shadowrealm campaign delves into themes of betrayal and ambition, as dark elves seek to expand their dominion with the aid of brutal ogres and the mysterious iksar. In contrast, the Dawn Brotherhood’s tale is one of honor and resilience, highlighting the human, barbarian, and dwarf races banding together to resist encroaching darkness. Finally, the Eldaar Alliance weaves a more diplomatic narrative, showcasing high elves, wood elves, halflings, and froglocks striving to preserve nature’s balance.

Each campaign’s missions are designed to reinforce its narrative focus—whether you’re rescuing key figures, sabotaging enemy supplies, or defending sacred glades. Cutscenes and in-game dialogue provide exposition without overwhelming the player, and voice acting—while sometimes uneven—adds weight to pivotal moments. Particularly memorable are the moments when one campaign’s end scene foreshadows events in another, deepening the sense of a living, interconnected world.

Character development is handled primarily through the progression of your chosen lord. As they grow in power, you learn more about their backstories and personal motivations, making their triumphs and tragedies feel earned. Though the story occasionally leans on familiar fantasy tropes, its place within the grand EverQuest mythos and the quality of the writing elevate it well above standard RTS fare.

Overall Experience

Lords of EverQuest strikes a satisfying balance between strategic depth and narrative engagement. By integrating RPG-style character progression into a traditional RTS framework, the game rewards both tactical acumen and long-term planning. The three distinct campaigns provide plenty of replay value, especially for fans eager to experience each alliance’s viewpoint.

Despite its age, the game runs smoothly on modest hardware and retains a certain charm that newer titles sometimes lack. The simplified resource system keeps the focus on combat and hero development, though players seeking elaborate base-building may find this approach too minimalist. Still, most will appreciate the streamlined progression and increased tactical emphasis.

The sound design—comprising orchestral tracks, ambient effects, and solid voiceover work—further immerses you in the conflict-ridden world. Occasional AI quirks and pathfinding hiccups can surface during large-scale engagements, but these rarely undermine the overall enjoyment. In many respects, these minor flaws are overshadowed by the game’s ambitious scope and polished core mechanics.

For fans of both EverQuest and strategy games, Lords of EverQuest is a must-try title that expands the lore and delivers challenging, varied gameplay. Its engaging campaigns, memorable lords, and consistent pacing ensure that each hour spent feels purposeful, making this prequel a worthy addition to any fantasy RTS enthusiast’s collection.

Retro Replay Score

6.1/10