We were quite taken aback to learn of a video game in which you bring an arsenal of modern weaponry into a battle against medieval soldiers. But the idea has since grown on us, and we’re now pretty excited to try out Kingmakers, an action-strategy title from Redemption Road Games.
If, like us, you’re intrigued by its absolutely insane gameplay loop and premise, you might want to know more about the game before deciding to take the plunge and buy this game. Well, we’ve put together a list of things you might want to know about the game.
Let’s dive in!
1. From The Future, With Love
The insanity starts with the game’s narrative! You’re a special operations expert sent back in time to 1401 to the Welsh Rebellion, an interesting time period that saw England, Wales, and Scotland embroiled in a series of clashes thanks to the self-proclaimed Prince of Wales.
You’re going to interfere in order to ensure you prevent an apocalyptic event in your own timeline. It’s a typical isekai narrative, with time travel elements thrown in to ensure that you’re a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, or a commander without comparison outside of it.
2. Choose a Side
You can fight for either England, Scotland, or Wales in the main story with multiple endings tied to your choices. Are you going to attempt to quell the rebellion or support it? Perhaps you’re thinking of playing both sides to meet your own ulterior motives? It’s all up to you, and the game is likely to feature quite a few twists and turns as you progress through its main campaign.
That’s good news if you’re the type who likes a bit of replay value from their games, and with a premise like this one, that’s quite a draw.
3. Your Perspective, Your Playstyle
Do you like to get into the thick of the action and unleash your modern weapons against hapless knights, soldiers, and cavalry units? That’s certainly on the cards.
Or do you prefer to hang back and direct your troops from afar, showing off your strategic chops in the process? Go right ahead.
You can seamlessly switch between both perspectives, choosing between action and Real Time Strategy in, well, real time. It’s a gameplay loop that could have you very involved with how your army behaves on the battlefield, and you could choose to turn the tide yourself if your plans go awry. That’s modern warfare in the past for you.
4. Troops That Are More Than Cannon Fodder
Redemption Road has been quite enthusiastic about dynamic AI systems that react to the battle and influence the decisions, pathfinding, and even the loyalty of troops in the field. While they haven’t elaborated on how that works, we’re pretty certain you can expect soldiers to lay down their arms if you overwhelm their formations, or perhaps have to fend off ones who attempt to flank your own forces if the opportunity presents itself.
Your own troops and officers could attempt a few tricks of their own, and managing the battlefield is sure to be both challenging and rewarding in equal measures.
Whether you’re in the field or at your command post, things could get quite heated in the blink of an eye if the studio plays its cards right.
5. Battle Tactics
While the thought of tearing through enemy troops with your assault rifle sounds like you’re going to be invincible on the battlefield, Redemption Road has ensured that things are not going to be as easy as they seem. Your enemies adapt their tactics, choosing to swarm you with superior numbers and removing the advantage that your arsenal affords you and your troops.
Expect resistance irrespective of the weapons and tools you carry with you, and always stay on guard for intelligent attempts to sway the momentum of the fight away from you while you direct your troops.
6. You And Whose Army?
If you find that controlling massive armies a tad too taxing, you could bring a few buddies along in multiplayer co-op that supports up to four players. We shudder to think of what a well-coordinated unit of the best action players can achieve with modern weaponry, and the devastation they could bring to the battlefield if their opponents have nothing but swords, shields, and spears to wield against them.
The best of you could get very creative with your unit’s setup, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with once the game is in your hands.
7. The Right Tools For The Art of War
The game’s premise gives you the scope to wield a wide range of weapons like assault rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers, and so many more against troops whose arsenals seem almost negligible in comparison. While it’s one of the main draws of the game, we’re quite curious to see how those battles play out, and how the armies of the past manage to respond effectively to the weapons of the future. It’s an idea that is both ridiculous and fascinating, although the game’s trailers point towards it being executed (pun intended) very well.
8. Wheels Up!
If fancy guns and weapons weren’t enough, you also get to drive armored SUVs, bikes, attack helos, call in air strikes, and even drive a convertible into battle. Talk about arriving in style!
But jokes aside, vehicular combat could very well be another facet of this insane gameplay loop that could very well bring the whole experience together. Perhaps you could go into 007 mode and assault a fortress in the fanciest car that money can buy. Or take a tank if you prefer function over form.
9. Drawing The Line
This one’s pretty amusing despite the disappointment it brought us. The devs have said that they toyed with the idea of a giant mech tearing up the battlefield at one point, but ultimately changed their minds as it was a challenge to sustain the balance they had created. We kind of agree, as the thought of a metal monstrosity assaulting hapless soldiers who poked at it with their swords sounds too far-fetched, even for Kingmakers.
We would have liked to re-enact a modified version of our favorite battle from Star Wars, but it is what it is.
10. A Path to Fame and Fortune
It was kind of inevitable that a premise as unique as the one Kingmakers brings to the table has drawn the attention of studios in other entertainment media. Popular studio Story Kitchen is already working with Redemption Road and publisher TinyBuild to bring a live-action adaptation of the game to the silver screen.
We just hope that the movie is a faithful recreation of the insanity we’re about to witness once this one hits the shelves.
11. Kingmakers Is Just Getting Started
And we mean that literally. Early access opens on October 8th, 2025, while the developers have already excitedly discussed potential additions to the game ahead of its full and final release. There’s going to be flamethrowers, drones, and so much more, allowing you to devise very creative ways to bring misery to any who dares to oppose you in your mission to save the future.
12. Crossplay and Consoles
There’s hope that console ports for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are in the game’s future, with the developers stating that it’s something they would like to do and are actively pursuing. It does make sense to bring Kingmakers to as many platforms as possible, allowing more players to join in on the fun and perhaps build a thriving community around the game and its insane premise.
13. Modest System Requirements
Another feather in Kingmaker’s cap is that its excellent visuals do not come at the price of a high-end setup. As per the Epic Store, it’s going to need Windows 10 64-bit and an Intel i5 10th Gen processor and 8GB of RAM alongside an RTX 2060 GPU, DirectX 11, and a whopping 80GB of storage.
The recommended specs bump up the CPU requirement to an Intel i7 10th gen, and an RTX 3070. While these may be changed in the run-up to the game’s full and final release, they’re a sign that players whose rigs might not be fully up to date can still join in on the fun.
And that’s a wrap on everything you need to know about Kingmakers.
