Those Who Rule is a brand-new tactical RPG developed by Eldin Turulja. The game offers a few unique systems, a gorgeous art style, stunning character portraits, and even perma-death.
Story
The player will take control of a group of Rangers in a war-torn world. The man cast is Slyker, the leader, Marcus, the brute of the party, and Illyana, the tactician. These three are tasked with impossible decisions at every corner of their journey.
The player will traverse a wide range of biomes and locations, such as castles, dungeons, caves, snowy plains, sandy deserts, and lush forests.
As you play through the story you will uncover the secrets of the world and the enemies you are fighting, but not every enemy is how you pictured. The game is riddled with twists and almost becomes a thriller in the sense of not knowing who the villains truly are, and even then, the game leaves you asking questions about each decision you make.
Keep a character alive? Extort them? Or even kill them. The game gives you these choices, and sometimes you think making the morally correct choice was the right one, but that’s not always the case. The story will have you question your very orders from the Rangers.
That’s all I can really say without getting into massive spoilers, and that is something you should experience for yourself since not every story will be the same.
Gameplay
The bread and butter of Those Who Rule is the gameplay. While it is straightforward with all the usual features of a tactics game, such as status effects, class abilities, and weapon abilities, there are a few new things to keep in mind during every battle.
Each character is more than just a single unit; they have specific strengths and weaknesses that you must learn to keep them alive. Defenders might be the tanks of the group, but they can get overwhelmed quickly, especially if they are facing off against a warrior who uses an axe. The one-handed and two-handed axe will go through armor and deal direct damage, but their hit chance is extremely low. This is just one aspect to keep in mind when battling.
Now, to get into the battles themselves is overwhelming, to say the least. You are outnumbered and sometimes outgunned, but that is to your advantage. Your forces have something that they don’t, and that’s you.
Each chapter features a massive battle, and within that massive battle, it can be broken into many minor battles. So, you will see 30 or more enemies on the map against your 11, but how you tackle and challenge them is up to you.
Lure them into a deadly trap, where your forces overwhelm the smaller numbers, or slowly dispatch them using flanking techniques and range. The choice is truly on the player, but I preferred to tackle each group of enemies with my full force to ensure that everyone survived and remained healthy.
There are some instances when keeping your forces together won’t be possible, and you will have to strategically place and plan how you’re going to tackle a much stronger foe.
This leads me to the bosses and elite enemies. They are nothing to laugh about, as they possess extra abilities and passives and either have a lot of health or are hit like a truck. Taking on these enemies will require a major team effort from your party, ranging from status effects, breaking their shields, and outmaneuvering them to get an advantage.
After each battle, you will head back to your base of operations, where you can manage your troops, buy equipment, and talk with party members to get side quests or even rewards. Speaking with party members is just as vital as combat, while you will learn more about them, you will also get the opportunity to complete their side quest for extra rewards.
The wayside quests are implemented into missions is simple, usually asking for a specific character to deal a certain amount of damage or to reach a chest or objective in a set amount of time. Another challenge comes into play when the side quest is telling the player that a specific character cannot land a killing blow on a target. Making the player choose if they want to continue with the side quest and be handicapped or see if they can really make sure a strong character doesn’t kill anyone.
There are currently six distinct classes: Fighter, Soldier, Skirmisher, Defender, Archer, and Medic.
Gaining experience is reminiscent of Fire Emblem, where every action will give the character some experience, and defeating someone will give the most experience to that specific character.
When a character levels up, their core stats will increase. These stats include Vitality, Strength, Skill, Agility, Endurance, and Defense. Each character has a unique set of growth rates that items or their class can influence.
Each character is proficient in a specific weapon type or set of weapons. These proficiencies will change the more you use that weapon in combat, and that character can also learn more once they hit their class advancement at level 10.
Class advancement differs from each class, branching into three unique paths with different abilities and strengths, such as the fighter having a choice to become a Hero, Lancer, or Scout. These advancements also change the look and function of said character. With three advancements per class, this allows for a ton of customization and ways to tackle each encounter.
Visuals and Audio
The character models and portraits are well-crafted and unique. The models in the game might not be for everyone, but it does have a charm to them. The music, on the other hand, is a powerhouse in the genre. From the intro screen to the battles to a peaceful moment, the music does not miss a single beat in Those Who Rule.
Impressions
The combat, the story, and the challenge are incredible. Every mission has been engaging and making me want more, and the story beats do not let up in keeping the suspense while also reminding us that this is a grounded experience for our cast. Seeing these inexperienced young adults battle through these dangerous encounters makes you feel more connected with them.
The game will take roughly 20-30 hours to complete and offers some replayability with the dynamic story options that they have to offer.
I would highly recommend this game to RPG fans who are looking for a hardcore tactical experience.
