Pike and Shot is a simple turn-based game based on the pike and shot, a European warfare formation used during the late 17th century. The game gives players an idea of what it was like in the battlefields during the pre-modern era by depicting some of the greatest historical battles.

Story

The game comes with 30 scenarios—which include the English Civil War (1642-1651), the Italian War (1494-1559) and the Thirty Years’ War (1648-1648)—with 10 maps based on each war. Before the early 18th century and the invention of bayonets, pikes and pole-arm weapons were used by the mixed infantry and battles were decided by pistol-wielding cavalry and pikemen. All the factions that participated in the battles of The Holy Roman Empire, the Catholic League, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Transylvania, France, Ottoman Turkey and Lithuania are included in the game. This era marked the dominance of the cavalry and artillery, and as the name suggests, ‘pike and shot’, a mix of pikemen and musketeers. Thus mastering the combination of these three is the key to achieving victory in the game.

Gameplay

It is a simple turn-based game where the battlefield is based on squares instead of hexagons as we have seen in other similar games. You first decide on the units you want to choose for a battle and after you have made your selection, you proceed to battle. Once on the battlefield, you take turns positioning your unit against approaching enemy units very carefully in order to guarantee a smooth and swift victory. Mastering the formations and counter-formations, by keeping the terrain in mind, and making proper use of your pike and shot is essential for victory.

As in a real battlefield, the different geographical conditions play a vital role in deciding how the game plays out. A simple hover of the cursor will inform the player about the terrain. The game gives you four tutorial maps to get you familiar with the nature of the game. The game is difficult. Even when the difficulty level is set on Mid, the AI will prove to be very challenging for beginners. The AI will make the game challenging for you and will force you to try out different approaches.

The 30 historical scenarios are accessible without a player’s having to get past a campaign mode—unlike in most games of this genre. Historical scenarios can only be played from one side, though. To make up for that, the game features a skirmish mode and an editor, which gives the player full control of the battle scenario.

The gameplay of Pike and Shot is its strongest suit, although it still feels lacklustere at times. I personally felt the lack of a presence of the leader in the battlefield, which would have been a massive plus for this excellent game. Regardless, the game is a tough nut to crack.

Graphics

The graphics are not as glossy as other turn-based games that have graced our PC or tablets in recent times, but Pike and Shot is still pretty good.

The maps are well-designed, with the difference in the terrains quite evident. And you can always hover the cursor over things you want details of, if you are unsure about the battlefields. All in all, it holds up pretty well.

Sound

As the game is not one that is backed by generous budgeting, players should not expect mindblowing quality. That said, along with the graphics, the sound too fares pretty well. The sfx during battle could remind you of the audio from Age of Empires—which debuted almost two decades ago—but then again, the classic was published by the computer giant Microsoft, and its sound is regarded as one of the best ever.

The audio does justice to the gameplay and its modest graphics, and I don’t think having an extravagant array of sound effects would help make it all that much better. As long as it is not 8-bit chiptune for this one, I am all game.

Verdict

The game could clearly use a prominent character (hint: a leader) on the battlefield. This could make the game more engrossing and relatable to gamers. And if you’ve already mastered similar games, the Hard mode in this game is just the thing for you. A fine example of how a warfare-based game should be, Pike and Shot raises the bar for other games of its genre to come.

8.5/10