Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Total Annihilation: Kingdoms brings a fresh twist to the classic real-time strategy formula by centering its play around monarch units. Each faction’s monarch doubles as your primary builder, with Elsin, Lokken, Kirenna, and Thirsha each possessing unique construction privileges and special abilities. This design encourages players to safeguard their monarch while deploying support construction units, making screen positioning and unit protection paramount for success.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

The game’s single-resource system—mana—streamlines resource management without sacrificing depth. Lodestones harvest mana, and every unit, structure, and monarch ability draws upon that single pool. Balancing your mana income against expenditures on silhouette-summoned units, special attacks, and upgrades creates a dynamic push-and-pull that feels both intuitive and strategically rich. Interrupting a silhouette build or losing a key builder can snowball quickly, adding tension to every skirmish.

With the tech tree split into three tiers aligned to specific factory structures and faction capabilities, Kingdoms nudges players to adapt their strategies. Aramon’s mastery of necromancy, Taros’s stealth and versatility, Veruna’s amphibious tactics, and Zhon’s focus on organic forces all demand different approaches. This faction asymmetry, combined with 48 varied campaign missions and post-launch unit downloads, guarantees a gameplay experience packed with variety and replay value.

Graphics

For its time, Total Annihilation: Kingdoms offered a distinctive fantasy aesthetic that set it apart from its sci-fi predecessor. The environments—from misty forests to volcanic plains—are rendered with vibrant colors and detailed terrain textures that evoke a medieval-fantasy atmosphere. Structures and units are intricately designed, with clear visual distinctions that help players quickly recognize faction types and tech levels.

The silhouette-summoning animation is both a visual treat and a tactical indicator. Watching a ghostly outline solidify into a full-strength unit not only looks magical but also conveys critical battlefield information: a summoning in progress is vulnerable, so you can time your assaults accordingly. Particle effects on monarch special abilities—raising skeletal armies, summoning invisibility shrouds, or unleashing arcane projectiles—add flair without sacrificing clarity.

Unit animations are smooth, with each faction exhibiting unique movement cues. Kirenna’s graceful swimming transformation, Thirsha’s aerial maneuvers, and the lumbering stomp of Aramon’s undead constructs all feel appropriately weighted. The user interface, particularly the bottom-right mana meter and quick-access icons, remains clean and informative, ensuring that players can monitor resource flows and active abilities at a glance.

Story

The narrative of Kingdoms revolves around four royal siblings vying for control of Darien after their father’s mysterious disappearance. This fraternal conflict offers a fertile ground for storytelling, with each monarch’s campaign revealing personal motivations, political machinations, and mystical lore surrounding the land. The familial rivalry adds emotional stakes to each mission, as alliances shift, betrayals emerge, and the fate of Darien hinges on your strategic choices.

Spanning 48 missions, the single-player campaign is both expansive and varied. Early missions introduce the sibling factions and their unique units, while mid-campaign scenarios feature surprise twists—like pitting Aramon’s risen dead against Taros’s stealth armies. Late-game battles escalate into grand, multi-front conflicts where managing your monarch’s survival becomes as critical as outmaneuvering your opponent’s forces.

Kingdoms also weaves environmental storytelling into its levels. Abandoned lodestones, shattered battlegrounds, and ancient ruins hint at Garacaius’s legacy and the enduring power of mana. Brief cutscenes and in-mission dialogue flesh out each ruler’s personality, making their victories feel earned and their downfalls tragic. This sense of narrative progression sustains interest throughout the lengthy campaign.

Overall Experience

Total Annihilation: Kingdoms stands out as a robust fantasy RTS that captures the strategic depth of its predecessor while forging a new identity. Its monarch-centric mechanics and single-resource system streamline gameplay without oversimplifying, offering both newcomers and veterans fresh tactical challenges. The 48-mission campaign, bolstered by post-release unit downloads, provides hours of content with varied objectives and faction perspectives.

Visually and aurally, Kingdoms delivers an immersive fantasy world filled with vibrant landscapes, distinctive unit designs, and evocative spell effects. While some interface elements show their age, the clarity of important information—especially mana tracking and silhouette statuses—remains impeccable. Sound design and musical themes complement the on-screen action, heightening the sense of epic conflict.

Whether you’re drawn to the high seas and stealth of Taros, the necromantic powers of Aramon, the amphibious mastery of Veruna, or the organic hordes of Zhon, Total Annihilation: Kingdoms offers a richly layered experience. Its blend of asymmetric factions, resource-driven strategy, and a compelling sibling rivalry narrative make it a must-play for fans of classic RTS games seeking a memorable fantasy adventure.

Retro Replay Score

7.3/10