Kingdom Rush 5: Alliancereleases soon, July 25 in fact, and it may very well make waves in the mobile market (and Steam). Anyone who frequentsmobile game storesor has played tower defense games is likely familiar with theKingdom Rushfranchise, and its next chapter is as exciting as everything that has come before it.
The very firstKingdom Rushwas released in 2011, quickly growing into its own franchise with several mainline games and a couple of spin-offs. Following the first game in 2011 came Kingdom Rush: Frontiers, Kingdom Rush: Origins, Kingdom Rush: Vengeance, Legends of Kingdom Rush, Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance, a couple ofboard gamesinKingdom Rush: Rift in TimeandKingdom Rush: Elemental Uprising, and a now-discontinued comic series. That’s a lot ofKingdom Rush,a lot for any franchise across 13 years, and it’s all because of the strong tenets at the heart ofKingdom Rush. Those very same principles can be found inKingdom Rush 5: Alliance.
Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance is a New Chapter Beginning July 25
Game Rant was able to see a little ofKingdom Rush 5: Alliancein action atGamescom LATAM. It wasn’t enough to cast any final judgment, but it was plenty to know that theKingdom RushDNA was still there. The heart of it, of course, is straightforward, cutesy, tower defense gameplay. Players face off waves of enemies with a variety of towers, all of which can be sold, moved, or upgraded, all while managing two heroes on each stage to engage the most powerful enemies. Sometimes units must also be deployed, and some enemies will try to sneak past a player’s frontlines. All of it is there and as fresh as anyone expects, with plenty of Ironhide’s iconic art and humor, and that helps really drive this franchise.
Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance Feature List
However, whereKingdom Rushhas always stood out is in its worldbuilding.Tower defense gamesdon’t necessarily need much, if any, of that; it can be as simple as enemy vs. enemy combined with fun towers and that’s it. Since the firstKingdom Rushgame, Ironhide has invested heavily in the world’s lore. The first game saw players stepping into the shoes of a general in King Denas' army in Linirea, discovering the invading wizard Vez’nan and their orc army, and fighting them back. Then, it ends with something no one expects of a tower defense game: a cliffhanger, as someone in a hood takes Vez’nan’s staff. This world and lore have developed throughout each entry in the franchise, andKingdom Rush 5: Allianceis a pivotal moment in that lore.
Befitting its subtitle, a new evil has forced the warriors of Linirea and the Dark Army to stand side by side, and what’s interesting is that it’s the Dark Army that approaches Linirea. Beyond the core plot, there are plenty of lore nuggets hidden between each game that become more and more developed, meaning fans can expect an epic main plot, a lot of supporting worldbuilding and lore, and fun, fast-paced, and hardcore (if they so wish) gameplay.Kingdom Rushhas always been more than mindless cannon fodder in thetower defense genre, and while it doesn’t really have to prove itself further, that’s not stopping it from doing so come July 25.
