Ancestors: Legacy

Ancestors: Legacy is a real-time strategy game set in medieval Europe, where players command the armies of four distinct factions—Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Germans, and Slavs—across historically inspired campaigns. The game combines tactical RTS combat with base-building and resource management, focusing on large-scale battles, unit control, and strategic conquest across a gritty, war-torn landscape.

Ancestors: Legacy: A Brutal, Flawed Homage to a Dormant Genre

As a historian of interactive media, one must occasionally excavate titles that serve as both a tribute to a bygone era and a testament to the challenges of modern game development. Ancestors: Legacy is one such artifact—a game that wears its influences proudly while struggling to carve out a distinct identity in a genre that has largely retreated from the mainstream.

Introduction

In the post-Company of Heroes landscape, the real-time strategy (RTS) genre has experienced a curious stagnation, punctuated by iterative sequels and a shift towards faster, MOBA-inspired mechanics. Into this void stepped Polish developer Destructive Creations with Ancestors: Legacy, a title that boldly attempts to transplant the squad-based tactical formula of Relic’s classic into the brutal, visceral battlefields of medieval Europe. This review posits that while Ancestors: Legacy is a mechanically competent and often thrilling tactical experience, it is ultimately hamstrung by a repetitive campaign structure, a sometimes-breakneck pace that undermines its own strategic depth, and a failure to fully evolve the template it so reverently follows. It is a flawed gem—a game that will deeply satisfy a specific niche of strategy purists but may frustrate those seeking innovation or a more deliberate, grand-scale conflict.

Development History & Context

Developed by Destructive Creations and published by 1C Publishing EU, Ancestors: Legacy was released on Windows PC on May 22, 2018, with console ports for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch following in 2019 and 2020. The studio, led by CEO Jarosław Zieliński, was previously known for the controversial top-down shooter Hatred (2015). Ancestors: Legacy represented a significant pivot for the team, moving from provocative shock-value gameplay to a more traditional, commercially viable strategy title.

The development context is crucial. The mid-to-late 2010s were a fallow period for traditional RTS games. The titans of the genre—StarCraft, Warcraft, Age of Empires—were between major releases, and the market was dominated by grand strategy (Paradox Interactive) and action-RPG hybrids. Destructive Creations’ vision was clear: to fill a specific gap by creating a “Company of Heroes in the Middle Ages.” This was a gamble, banking on a dedicated but underserved audience craving tactical, squad-based warfare in a new historical setting.

Built on the powerful Unreal Engine 4, the game was a technical showcase for a mid-sized studio, aiming for a level of visual fidelity and cinematic brutality rarely seen in the strategy genre. The choice of engine allowed for detailed unit models, dynamic lighting from the day/night cycle, and destructible environments, but it also came with performance constraints that required a “pretty beefy gaming PC” to experience as intended.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Ancestors: Legacy eschews a grand, singular narrative in favor of four distinct campaign arcs focusing on different factions: the Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Germans, and Slavs. The narrative presentation is utilitarian, serving primarily as a vehicle to contextualize the combat. Through mission briefings and in-engine cutscenes, the game explores themes of survival, conquest, revenge, and the brutal pragmatism of medieval warfare.

The storytelling is not its strongest suit. Critics noted that the missions can feel “samey” and that the campaign often relies on repetitive scripts rather than emergent, AI-driven conflict. The narrative depth is found not in complex character arcs or dialogue but in the implied history of its conflicts. The game attempts to ground itself in a semi-historical reality, showcasing the clash of cultures and the harsh realities of life during the Viking Age and the Teutonic Knights’ expansion.

However, this attempt is marred by what IGN diplomatically called “historical inaccuracies.” The game prioritizes dramatic, factional warfare over historical precision, creating a romanticized, hyper-violent version of the era. The themes are broad strokes: honor in battle, the cost of vengeance, and the sheer struggle for resources and territory. It’s a backdrop that effectively sets the stage for the gameplay but offers little for players seeking a nuanced historical drama.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

This is where Ancestors: Legacy truly lives and dies. The core loop is a direct homage to Company of Heroes: players control small squads of units (capped at ten men each) to capture resource points and villages, which in turn fuel the production of more military forces. The objective-based territory control is the heartbeat of every match.

The game’s primary innovation lies in its translation of WW2 tactics to medieval warfare. Instead of cover and suppression, success hinges on:
* Formation and Flanking: Correctly positioning your units to attack an enemy’s flank or rear confers massive combat bonuses. A well-executed cavalry charge into the back of an engaged infantry line is devastating.
* Terrain and Stealth: The environment is a key tactical tool. Units can hide in tall grass or forests to ambush unsuspecting enemies, and a full day/night cycle affects line of sight, making night raids a viable strategy.
* Moral System: Units have a morale stat that can break, causing them to rout. This adds a psychological layer to combat beyond mere hit points.
* Traps and Abilities: Players can set deadly traps and use unit-specific abilities, encouraging a thoughtful, almost guerilla-style approach to warfare.

The combat is described as “brutal,” “martial,” and “herrlich” (glorious) by German critics, with a satisfying emphasis on tactical micro-management. Units gain veterancy, allowing for upgrades that tailor them to your playstyle, a feature praised by reviewers.

However, the mechanics are not without significant flaws:
* Pacing Issues: The movement speed and combat are described as “breakneck” and “hyper-speed.” Archer volleys feel like “spontaneous laser beams,” sacrificing the weighty realism of titles like Total War for arcade-like speed. This can make the game feel “spastic” and difficult to manage.
* Shallow Economy: The resource system is streamlined to a fault. As noted by GameStar, the economy is “perfect for dynamic multiplayer” but becomes a repetitive “simple build-up part” in the campaign. Resources feel largely irrelevant compared to the constant tactical shuffling of units.
* Capture Mechanics: Villages are “a little too easy to capture,” leading to a frustrating “rubber-banding effect” where players and AI constantly recapture points, forcing units to sprint back and forth across the map. This undermines the strategic positioning the game otherwise encourages.
* Linearity and Repetition: Multiple critics cited “fairly samey missions” and “teils repetitiven Missionen” (partly repetitive missions) with linear objectives. The campaign often devolves into a cycle of “getting a base, building a base, building a mega army, to then overwhelm their base.”

World-Building, Art & Sound

Ancestors: Legacy excels in its audiovisual presentation. The Unreal Engine 4 renders the medieval setting with grim authenticity. Battles are chaotic, visceral spectacles; watching “Axtkrieger die Helme eindellen” (ax fighters dent helmets) and “Dörfer in Flammen aufgehen” (villages go up in flames) is a key part of the appeal. The game’s atmosphere is one of its greatest strengths, successfully conveying the mud, blood, and fire of the era.

The sound design complements the visuals perfectly. The clang of steel, the thud of arrows hitting shields, and the screams of soldiers create a palpable sense of chaos and brutality. The soundtrack is suitably epic, driving the tension of large-scale engagements.

The world feels tangible and reactive, but as Polish outlet Komputer Świat pointed out, it can also feel empty (“pustka”). The beautiful maps are sometimes underutilized, with large stretches of terrain serving as mere corridors between capture points rather than integral parts of the tactical puzzle. The world-building is more about aesthetic immersion than creating a living, breathing world to explore.

Reception & Legacy

Upon its release, Ancestors: Legacy received a moderately positive critical reception, earning a MobyScore of 7.3 based on 14 critic reviews with an average score of 74%. Reviews praised its tactical depth and stunning presentation but consistently critiqued its repetitive missions and occasionally shallow systems.

• Praise: Critics from Hooked Gamers (85%) and PlayStation Universe (85%) hailed it as a “superb RTS” that “fans of the genre shouldn’t miss.” German outlets GameStar (82%) and PC Games (81%) celebrated its tactical focus, realistic mechanics, and successful adaptation of the CoH formula.
• Criticism: The repetitive structure was the most common complaint. 4Players.de (72%) noted that “too much routine” sets in over time. Console ports, particularly the Nintendo Switch version, were marked down for the lack of multiplayer and control issues, with Way Too Many Games (50%) stating its core gameplay decisions held it back from greatness.

Its legacy is that of a competent, well-crafted homage. It did not revolutionize the genre but proved there was still an audience for thoughtful, squad-based tactical RTS games outside of a modern or sci-fi setting. It stands as a solid, if unspectacular, entry in the genre—a game that is often recommended with caveats, typically to die-hard RTS fans or those specifically craving a medieval fix. It influenced a small resurgence of interest in tactical historical RTS, but its true impact was likely in demonstrating to other mid-sized studios that such projects could be commercially and critically viable.

Conclusion

Ancestors: Legacy is a fascinating and often frustrating case study. It is a game built with evident passion and a clear understanding of its inspirational source material. When its systems click—during a perfectly executed ambush, a desperate defense of a village, or a chaotic multiplayer skirmish—it delivers some of the most thrilling tactical moments the genre has offered in years. Its audiovisual presentation is top-tier, creating an immersive and brutally atmospheric medieval world.

Yet, it is ultimately held back from greatness by its own adherence to formula. The repetitive campaign, the overly simplistic economy, and the occasionally frantic pace that contradicts its strategic aspirations prevent it from standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the classics it emulates. It is a very good game that could have been a genre-defining masterpiece with more mission variety and a more deliberate pace.

For RTS veterans starving for a new tactical fix, Ancestors: Legacy is an easy recommendation, especially at its frequent discounted price. For the broader strategy audience, it remains a compelling, yet flawed, curiosity—a bloody and beautiful testament to what was and what could have been. Its place in history is secure as a respectful and robust love letter to a fading genre, but not as the genre’s new sovereign.