Fort Triumph (PC) Preview

First Triumph plays somewhat similar to the X-Com series, meaning that the turn-based action takes place in grid-based levels, there's a way to cover and raise the defence rating, and the heroes perma-die, increasing the tension on the battlefield. Instead of a gritty tale where humans collide with extraterrestrials, however, this is a vibrantly colourful, albeit generic, Swords & Sorcery tale of a kingdom being invaded by evil… or something.

Without any exaggeration, the plot is unbelievably forgettable, but most will find that this isn't a reason to go for that 'Skip Scene' button. This is as if WarCraft was written by comedians; not the best ones available, but reading the dialogue between characters, or even between undead skeletons who act as if they are working in the HR department of a corporation, can offer some nice, light-hearted breaks from all the fighting. Just note that, although this title doesn't take its world too seriously, it's very serious when it comes to the actual gameplay.

Don't be afraid to turn down the difficulty, as Fort Triumph is unforgiving. It won't overwhelm you with its intricate and complex mechanics, but everyone, from the tough and durable paladin, to the delicate magician, can go down in two-to-three well-placed hits. Add to the equation the fact that level design is random, and that once death comes it's permanent, and you get the idea. The trick here is that, instead of just character skills, the environment must also be used.

The heroes can cover behind objects, and strongly impact the outcome of an attack, but the game's highly interactive levels don't just provide some objects to hide behind. Instead, characters can push a crate to create additional cover, topple a column on a foe's head, or push someone in a river, and, last but not least, burn everything, from crates and trees, to actual houses! This is Fort Triumph's main shtick, and, in all honesty, it's neat.

Of course, this being in Early Access means that it has many rough edges to polish, with some being the fact that levels are quite long, yet it's not possible to save on them, the heavy imbalances and limited character customisation, and, frankly, the small tactical depth there's to be found here besides the, otherwise, awesome cover and interactive environment shebang. Having said that, however, this definitely has something good going for it.