Konung 3: Ties of the Dynasty Reviews

Konung 3 is the third installment in a niche RPG series based on Byzantine, Slavic, and Viking mythology. The story takes place a long time after Konung 2. The last ruler has died, and the quest to retrieve a magical sword from the Era of Titans determines who becomes the next Konung. The plot, like in previous games, is minimal, with most of the narrative relegated to the start and end of the game, leaving you to wander and pursue side quests. There are some typos and untranslated words, which further detract from the already thin storyline. Despite being released in 2010, the graphics already feel outdated. While the first two games had an isometric style, Konung 3 moves to 3D, allowing you to rotate and zoom the camera, but the limited resolution makes it difficult to see much at once. Movement and camera controls are clunky, and characters frequently get stuck or stop responding, making navigation and combat frustrating. There’s an option to tell NPCs to step aside if they block your path, but it’s a poorly implemented workaround. Combat in tight spaces is especially annoying, as half your party often stands idle, unable to reach enemies even if space is available. The difficulty is not as punishing as the first two games. Early on, you’ll find yourself luring enemies to NPCs to dispatch them. XP remains tied to the character who deals the killing blow, but there’s now a trainer skill for the main character that allows companions to earn a portion of the XP, a welcome improvement though still not perfect. The party size has been reduced to six characters (compared to nine in earlier games), and the skill system has been simplified. Magic was introduced, and instead of separate skills for different weapon types (e.g., swords or axes), weapons are now grouped into broader categories like one-handed, two-handed, and ranged. The game adds portals for fast travel, with one in each settlement, and between towns there’s usually a wilderness map that repopulates with enemies. Town management, while more advanced than before, is also more tedious. You can equip guards with better weapons and assign townspeople to various roles, but now your settlements can be attacked, and villagers may die in these raids. In Konung 2, towns could be occupied by enemy forces, but no one was killed—now, you must repopulate your town after an attack, which adds a new layer of frustration. You don’t always find new people on the roads, making the process slow and tedious. You also have to leave a companion behind because the person you want to assign to the village is also considered a companion and fills one of your party slots. This means you have to escort them to the village, assign them, and then return to where you left your companion to pick them back up. Potions are more varied, and figuring out recipes, or buying them, is still a fun aspect. The journal now provides hints for quest locations, which is a slight improvement. Finishing the game requires you to complete a series of tasks and gather specific items, meaning you’ll need to finish most side quests to advance. Despite having some improvements over the earlier games, Konung 3 felt more of a chore than enjoyable. I finished it, but I was relieved when it was over. The janky combat, dated graphics, and frustrating systems make it hard to recommend, even to fans of the series. Luckily, I only paid around 1€ for this game.