(Update: now available!) March of Empires: an immersive online multiplayer strategy title by Gameloft

Original post (8/6): There are plenty of strategy war games to choose from in the Google Play Store, but I must accept most of them offer nothing unique. Those looking for a more immersive and complex experience will soon have a new major option. Gameloft has just announced March of Empires, a massive multiplayer online title that is looking quite stunning.

March of Empires is still based on a system that is similar to many other strategy games, it just happens to further expand in most departments. You start off by selecting what type of ruler you will be: a Highland King, a Northen Czar or a Desert Sultan. The user will then start off with a castle and a small piece of land, where he can build and enhance a bevy of structures, each with its own duties and benefits.

That all sounds pretty standard for this type of games, but things get very interesting once you advance and start digging deeper into the realm. March of Empires allows you to expand your area as you grow, but this also means more land to protect, and resources to use. As you can see in the video above, the land is also huge! There’s plenty to explore and conquer, that’s for sure.

Taking a look at the alliance system, we can also see it is quite complex and expanded. Claiming and defending areas requires group effort, and alliance members help the group get more influence points, taking them up the hierarchy of alliances. Speaking about battles, they are quite interesting. As the name entails, March of Empires uses a formation battle system that will require strength, upgrades and strategy. Like everything else in this game, victory will be decided by a long list of factors. Some characters are weaker against specific types of enemies, for example.

The weather is also constantly changing, and it affects certain aspects of the game. For example, your research advances faster when it’s winter, likely because people stay indoors studying more.

The game does seem more advanced than the mobile competition, but you will not be able to enjoy it too soon. Gameloft has only announced it, but the game will become available for Android and iOS “later this year”. For now all you can do is pre-register for the game in the Google Play Store. And don’t worry, March of Empires will be free to play, with in-app purchases available.

Are any of you thinking of playing it? I personally can’t wait to test it. I love the level of complexity and the amount of factors it takes into consideration. It just may be the strategy game we have all been waiting for!