The action of the game takes us to a typical medieval-inspired fantasy land Keanor, which, thanks to a good and powerful magician who defied the forces of darkness, was a peaceful and safe place for many years. Just before his death, however, the mage enchanted all his wisdom and energy into a crystal, which soon fell prey to an evil sorcerer eager to gain power over the world. When he and the crystal disappeared and the good spells began to slowly lose their power, the Lord of Darkness summoned his minions to the world to turn it to ruin with their help. During the final battle with the forces of evil, King Roan also died at the hand of the traitor, and the former glory of his kingdom became only a memory.
In the midst of the ruins of the old king's castle, the last of the good magicians found the little prince Sartor, rescued him and, far from civilization, raised him into a strong and brave man who was never to find out who his father was. 20 years later, however, Sartor has discovered his destiny, and his mission has become to defeat the source of evil and restore the kingdom to its former glory. To do so, however, he will have to join forces with allied civilizations living in distant lands.
Game mechanics
In terms of game mechanics, Tzar: The Burden of the Crown is inspired by the best games, which certainly include the Warcraft or Age of Empires series. So in general, the game focuses on three main aspects, i.e. the constant expansion of the kingdom, acquiring the resources necessary for development and creating a strong army, capable of facing the hosts of evil forces. However, elements of classic mechanics have been enriched here with a number of original solutions, which significantly contributed to making the gameplay more attractive.
Joining the game, we can choose one of three available civilizations: European, Asian or Arab, differing from each other in buildings, units and - partly - technologies used. During the game we are engaged in collecting four resources (wood, gold, stones and food), which can be obtained in several ways. Thanks to considerable additional possibilities, such as trade, gambling, diplomacy, borrowing raw materials or developing your own magic formulas and technologies, the gameplay is not schematic and provides many ways to achieve success. The player's chosen path of development, referred to as the Path of Warriors, the Path of Magic, the Path of Religion or the Path of Trade, is also important.
Game modes
Tzar: The Burden of the Crown offers the possibility to play in both single and multiplayer modes. In the single-player variant, we can play an extensive story campaign (from 17 to 19 missions, including some alternative ones) or a single scenario - choosing our own or relying on the computer's random selection. There is also a multiplayer option for up to eight players, connecting with each other via the Internet or LAN.
Technical aspects
Released on PC, Tzar: The Burden of the Crown features attractive graphics in a fantasy style, shown in an overhead view typical of the genre. Individual maps offer four types of terrain and are filled with a number of elements, such as bodies of water, trees and bushes, mountains, cliffs, animals, etc. Also noteworthy is the fact that each of the three available civilizations is characterized by a noticeably different style, reflected in the appearance of buildings, units, weapons, ships or other items. At the same time, it is worth noting that thanks to the editors found in the game, players can create their own maps and campaigns, using simple rules and the included tutorial.
