We at GameWatcher are always looking for the most promising strategy games for beginners and veterans alike, which means we often sift through the many releases hitting Steam and other platforms that could add something meaningful to the genre. Recently, Arcane Wilds caught our attention, and we’ve played some of it after the launch via early access last month.
Swiss studio Avancadia comes from Transport Fever veterans and has decided to kick things off with a daring RTS that aims to blend the Wild West with fantasy elements. More importantly, it’s got more than a few interesting ideas when it comes to mechanics and systems that can distance it from the increasingly active competition in this space.
On the surface, Arcane Wilds looks familiar enough, mixing relatively simple battles with the type of base-building mechanics that worked so well during the genre’s early 2000s golden era. Jump into its many tutorials (there’s a thorough introduction to the game) and you’ll almost instantly notice it’s going for something slightly different.
At the centre of Arcane Wilds, there are two key concepts: Essence and resources which must be transported around. The former is a mineral-like element that can be gathered from natural formations and used to power up weapons, heal units, and even resurrect dead heroes. The latter translates into a nice (but management-heavy) twist on the RTS formula that you know and love.
For context: Arcane Wilds is currently light on plot, with the mission-based campaign of sorts instead focusing on a main island hub that can be expanded over time and quick missions on procedurally generated maps, with objectives that range from defending the dock from enemy hordes to finding relics. It’s an interesting angle for sure, and the fact it all can be played either alone or with friends can translate into a high replay value, but more background or lore info – even if the game is in its early stages – would’ve gone a long way towards making me more invested in the world.
Essentially, the game currently features three factions (two for the mission-based mode) that represent an army, colonists, and tribes. The setting is that of the Conquest of North America, but there’s a fantasy twist to it which I hope flourishes as development moves onwards. The ‘skeleton’ is already there: Strange creatures lurk around the maps, there are sorcerers and beasts that defy logic, and the fact it’s all placed on top of a setting that otherwise feels historical is refreshing, since it’s been a while since we’ve had a strategy title going for that sort of vibe.
Much like Stormgate earlier this year, Arcane Wilds’ early access launch feels like the devs going: “Hey, we want to develop this alongside the players, so we’re kicking it all off really early.” It’s a bold move, as no doubt the in-progress visuals (in many cases, obvious placeholders) and HUD limitations will shock the casual players, but there’s a lot of good stuff already implemented. From the extensive tutorials to the solid roster of Skirmish maps to all the PvE/PvP functionalities already locked, it’s pretty well-positioned to evolve satisfactorily in the coming months and years. The people venturing into these wilds this soon into Avancadia’s journey should simply know what they’re getting into and collaborate with the developers to ensure a bright future for the game.
With that in mind, there are valid concerns that should be raised before it’s too late to turn back. For starters, the game currently lacks a deep enough set of orders and tools that ensure smooth resource-gathering/managing operations. Right now, Arcane Wilds involves a lot of micromanaging, yet it’s easy to see where and how fast improvements could be made to better the flow of the overall gameplay loop. The idea of physically moving around resources – and that includes the ability to raid enemies – adds a very interesting layer of strategy to the game, but automatization and/or an easy way to set orders for gatherers and builders would make it much more enjoyable, and I can only hope Avancadia is already looking at those solutions.
Another unique feature that could either ‘make or break’ the game in the eyes of the more casual crowd is the ‘unit queue’ that has every unit, civil or military, ordered into production go into a boat and arrive every minute via a dock that must be protected at all costs. For all intents and purposes, the main building of each faction is glued to the sea.
Having new units come in ‘waves’ tangibly alters the rhythm of the missions as well as skirmishes, and adds a whole new layer of planning out things in advance, as you can’t just pump out units one by one next to a building that’s placed anywhere. It works with the whole idea of Arcane Wilds being about expeditions into the heart of a new land full of magic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way in this specific game now that I’ve seen how it works, but it needs to be handled really well as the game receives new units and balance passes. It’s all built around that central idea of ‘taming’ the wilds, which is why this approach to unit production is the one part of the game that can’t fail.
Minor quibbles include the usual early-days stuff, like AI pathfinding often failing to take the easiest route through a crowded area, resource icons not being as noticeable as they should be, and some units being laughably underpowered given their resource cost. It all should improve over time and doesn’t really represent a problem at this stage. Given how ‘green’ this early access release looks and feels, it’s already more stable and fully featured than a fair amount of 1.0 launches I’ve experienced in recent times.
Talking in depth about the performance is equally unserious at this point, as the game is far from reaching the optimization stages. That said, any modern PC should be able to hit high framerates while using the High preset, as it’s very much light on a graphical level right now, with load times on an SSD being near instant. That’s simply not where the focus is right now.
Long story short: Arcane Wilds seems to have the right ideas and more than enough talent behind it to capture the attention of RTS veterans at some point over its lengthy early access period thanks to genuinely refreshing mechanics and an intriguing setting. I’m just a bit worried it may take too long to fully come together, boring the far more impatient gamers expecting something more polished and advanced from the average early access launch.
Arcane Wilds (early access) launched on Steam on November 18, 2024, with a $17.99 price tag that could change over the course of development. The team is expecting to complete it over the next 2-4 years.
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