Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns Review

Picking up a game that you loved as a youngster is usually a recipe for disaster. Rose-tinted spectacles make things seem much better, and your tastes evolve as you get older. However, this didn’t stop me from taking on Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns. I absolutely adored the original. I spent hours mastering different strategies and ruling the roost. Accordingly, I couldn’t wait to try my luck by becoming a Saxon lord and claiming the crown.

Black Tower Basement has developed this old-school retro game. It is a single-player experience that has 3 core game modes. Furthermore, it has remained faithful to the 80s title with its silly side quests, gaudy colours, and jousting tournaments. However, it has adapted the core game for modern audiences if you want something more polished, and it has added a new mode for enhanced replay value and a different feel.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns tells a limited tale.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns tells a nearly non-existent story. This is a deliberate choice, as the mood is set and players get to focus on the tactical layers and trying to rule a kingdom.

The King has been murdered, and his crown has disappeared! The Saxons and Normans blame one another, and neither is willing to budge. Subsequently, 4 lords step forward to try to claim the kingdom and the crown. This is the depth of the plot, and you get to fill in any gaps you wish.

 Stick or twist?

My love of the 80s title forced me to play the untouched game mode. Seeing this low-texture, vibrant mess on my huge monitor was glorious. Building my army, moving between regions, and defending my castle took me back to my childhood. However, it is a little rough for modern audiences, and I appreciated the second mode.

This option retains all of the original gameplay, but it adds some nice tactical layers, quality-of-life improvements, and some labelling to explain what is going on. This is going to be the best place to start if you can’t remember what to do or if you are new to the game. It is as charming as the 80s game without being uncomfortable to look at. Additionally, it offers decent performance measures and can be enjoyed by those wanting a tactical experience without too many layers of depth.

Finally, the last mode is the Kingdom mode. This is the most modern element of this title. It has deck-building and roguelite elements to keep you coming back for more. Furthermore, there is a procedurally generated campaign, varying difficulty levels and dice mechanics.

I feel dirty.

I feel dirty for abandoning the original game, but Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns has done an amazing job with the third game mode. It offers a fresh design every time, and you don’t know what to expect. Furthermore, the different events and randomised encounters ensure you never know what to expect.

On top of this, you feel in control of the combat elements. There is still some luck, but your tactical decisions influence the dice you hold. Each die has different strengths, and your forces determine what happens. This is a million miles away from the short combat cutscene of victory or failure, and I love what they have achieved.

Additionally, the deckbuilding has a delightful modern edge that’ll appeal to lovers of roguelite titles. Your collection of cards influences combat outcomes and supports different strategies. Moreover, as you progress, you gain access to new cards, dice, and relics to impact your tactical choices.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns blends modern and dated visuals.

How do you explain a game that grabs 2 eras and runs with them? Well, Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns has done a great job with its modern experience. It is vibrant, clean, and easy to look at. It will appeal to many people and hopefully attract people to try the original. Talking of the original, it is hellishly rough and just the way I like it. The UI is simple but clunky, and the colours are refined. In short, it has Amiga written all over it! The audio has done a fantastic job of incorporating excellent orchestral pieces. It has a fantasy, medieval edge and is incredible to listen to.

The controls are divisive. Unless you are familiar with the 80s release, the original game will feel a little slow, clunky, and uncomfortable to play. However, if you jump on to either of the modern modes, you’ll enjoy a clean UI, simple controls, and easy-to-follow gameplay. Replay value revolves around the new kingdom mode. The procedurally generated gameplay inspires you to keep playing and trying different things. Although I won’t play it as intensely as I did all those years ago, it is something I’ll return to casually.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns is a great walk down memory lane.

My rose-tinted spectacles have been removed, and I still love this game! Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns does a fantastic job of retaining the original charm and action while delivering a whole new experience. Yes, it is a little rough at times, but I don’t care. I think it’s great and you should grab a copy from the Xbox Store!