Nacon, the French publisher which still bore the name Bigben Interactive not so long ago, was present in force during this Gamescom 2023. In addition to Gangs of Sherwood and Paradize Project already presented in our columns, we have was able to get our hands on Garden life, Crown Wars and War Hospital, and here are the conclusions of what was presented to us:
Garden Life
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Garden Life is a title developed by the Austrians at Stillalive Studios, for release planned for the first half of 2024. In this game with a soothing atmosphere, we we inherit a neglected garden that we must beautify by sowing different plant seeds. The developers of the garden studied botany well during the production of the game, which made it possible to make the events close to reality. Indeed, plants grow differently and adapt to the environment. You will therefore have to take care of them and not forget to maintain them and water them. So we have different gardening missions to complete for story mode as well as orders received that we will have to honor. Don’t want to complete the missions? It doesn’t matter, there is also a free mode in which we can arrange our garden the way we want.
During our test, our mission was to clear the land of weeds and dead plants in order to plant new flowers. Then, in order to harvest these beautiful flowers planted previously, we went to town to buy the necessary materials. Once this mission was completed, we were able to reap the fruits of our work.
It’s a very cozy and simple game but also very relaxing and comforting. The graphics are also very colorful and sweet. A real moment of relaxation for fans of the genre.
Crown Wars: The Black Prince
Another game published by Nacon and also present at Gamescom: Crown Wars: The Black Prince, which will be released on March 14, 2024 on all current platforms. Imagined by the French group Artefacts Studio, the game takes the form of a Turn-based tactical RPG set against the backdrop of the 100 Years’ War. At the height of the War, in 1356, fighting between the different royal families raged while the Black Death claimed many victims. However, the Franco-English conflict will not be the main element of the game since a secret and evil power presents itself and shows itself to be more and more powerful and dangerous. It will therefore have to be stopped.
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The game is divided into two parts with on one side the management of our castle (prison, training center, chapel, etc.), which must be improved using the resources found, and exploration with combat. Our grip of about twenty minutes forced us focus on fighting only.
Before going into battle, we had to define the composition of our small army among four distinct classes: the crusader, the master of beasts and his bear, the wanderer and the alchemist. It is also necessary to choose our weapons before going into battle. Concerning the mechanics, Crown Wars adopts a turn-based system with three possible actions for each character: attack, defense or movement.
On the ground, we meet our first enemies. It was therefore necessary to move our soldiers conscientiously, taking into account the strengths of each : attack from a distance for some, melee for others. When eliminating certain enemies, we were treated to small skits for the ‘finishers’. This may seem trivial, but it always has a small effect. Unfortunately, during this fight we lost some troops due to a lack of knowledge of their characteristics. This is what will lead us to defeat in the second fight, when we will be attacked “by surprise”. A failure which had the merit of raising the need for good strategic management of troops.
Once mastered, this RPG promises to be very fun, for a good time in solowith what will remain a great discovery on our side.
War Hospital
Still on the theme of war but several centuries later, Nacon also presented us with War Hospital, developed by the Polish studio Brave Lamb. This is a single-player resource management game during World War I. This novelty will be released on October 26, 2023 in exchange for around thirty euros on Xbox, Playstation and Steam.
Unlike the war games we are used to, the goal of War Hospital is not to eliminate enemies but rather to save the lives of those wounded in combat. The latter are sent to the camp to be treated. We therefore embody Major Henry Wells, chief medical officer of a military field hospital. Unfortunately, given the resources possessed during the war, and the treatment techniques at the beginning of the 20th century, the major will not be able to save everyone. It will therefore be necessary to pose sometimes difficult choices because the places in the camp are not unlimitedas well as the nursing staff.
In the base, we have to manage the different buildings which accommodate the soldiers, the working hours of the nurses and doctors, improve, using resources, our buildings to accommodate more wounded… The aim being, of course, to treat maximum number of injuries. The choices that will have to be made will have an impact on a troop morale gauge : a gauge that is too low will have an impact on the effectiveness of soldiers on the ground. It will also be necessary to ensure that a sufficient number of troops are present in the trenches in order to repel the German soldiers and ensure the security of the camp. Brief, real complete management of a treatment camp during the war !
The game is divided into three levels which represent three highlights of the Great War: summer 1917, spring 1918 and November 1918. Naturally, the game ends on November 11, Armistice Day. For a person who already knows this type of mechanics, the overall time to complete a chapter is estimated at three hours according to the developers.
In summary, it is a management game which immerses us in the difficult choices to make during times of war. Although the subject covered is difficult, we come away satisfied with what was offered to us and impatient to be able to take the game in hand definitively. See you in October!