Info about Wars and Warriors: Joan of Arc:

Official game description:
**Are You Destined to Free your People from the Hands of Tyranny?**  
The year is 1337. During this, the darkest of ages, the bubonic plague was rampant. Kingdoms rose and fell with every swift blow of the sword. The Old Continent was in a state of great upheaval, as English kings hastily attempted time and again to uphold their claim to the French throne, shaking this fragile kingdom to its very foundation. The hundred years' war had been unleashed.  
Relive the most intense battle scenarios of medieval Europe in this third-person 3D epic saga. Brandish your sword as you slay enemies amidst adrenaline-pumping action while you lead your troops to victory. Acquire new weaponry while you advance through eight massively gut-wrenching battle scenarios, each packed to the hilt with thousands of enemy troops to slay. Gain experience to obtain and unleash ever-more powerful combo attacks to devastate your foes. Slowly transform yourself from a single warrior into a forceful military leader as you develop and master the art of chivalry and tactical warfare. Become the greatest and most inspirational of French leaders by demonstrating your leadership abilities while commanding your legions of troops to victory. Tap into your arsenal of war machines as you relentlessly tear away at enemy forces.  
**Play as Joan of Arc**  
Live out the most exciting years in the life of Joan of Arc, the ultimate female warrior, in the ultimate epic battles! As you progress through her campaigns, other great military medieval leaders will join your cause and bring their own unique fighting abilities and characteristics into the fray.  
**Fight Epic Battles**  
Orchestrate your troops through eight massive maps featuring formidable strongholds, lavishly detailed cities and myriad landscapes, from rolling hills to thick forests and flowing rivers. Experience firsthand the sheer intensity and savage brutality of medieval castle sieges brought to life in amazing lifelike 3D.  
**Engage in Adrenaline-pumping Action**  
Slash and slay enemies from a thrilling third-person perspective view. Wield the sword to your advantage by executing unique combo attacks with perfect timing to devastate the enemy.  
**Acquire New Weapons**  
Train yourself to master new fighting techniques to unleash your full fighting capabilities, then acquire an increasingly devastating arsenal of weaponry to overwhelm your foes.  
**Master Long-Lost Skills**  
Demonstrate your chivalrous aptitude by mastering your timing and precision among dozens of unique attack combos. Train yourself to become the complete warrior.  
**Strategically Command Entire Armies**  
Valiantly marshal your troops through the thick of gut-wrenching battles and demonstrate your leadership abilities as generalissimo to your troops, country, and king.  
**Employ Fearsome War Machines**  
Use to your advantage the devastating war machines at hand, such as catapult, trebuchet and battering ram to tear down castle walls, vanquish enemy fortifications, and instill fear in the eyes of your enemies.

Release date: Sep 3, 2015

Categories: Action RPG, Real-time Strategy, Third-Person Shooter, Hack and Slash, Character Progression, Siege Warfare, Weapon Customization, Single-player Story


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: Reviews consistently indicate that the game is considered a good value primarily at discounted prices, especially the common 75% off sale price. The base price is perceived as acceptable but the community often recommends waiting for a sale, implying that the fair price range is below the full retail price. 'Very cheap' and 'worth it' at 75% off suggest a lower bound around $5, while 'totally worth the money' without mention of discount allows an upper bound at the full price of approximately $20. However, most sentiment points to a fair range significantly below full price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.8h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Game completion estimates vary: one source indicates 7-10 hours for a quick run, but multiple other reviews consistently report 18-22 hours for a typical playthrough, including a mention of 3 hours per level across 6 levels totaling 18 hours. Session length is explicitly given as 30-45 minutes per sitting. There is no separate evidence for story-only completion time or endgame content, so those fields are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Player feedback shows a mix: some enjoy the game immediately and sustainably, others find it tedious or boring from the start, and many note that repetitive gameplay diminishes longer sessions, while one finds it worthwhile despite tedium.
  - Stance: Mixed
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: tediousness; repetitiveness; simple mechanics; unpredictable controls; limited capabilities; bugs
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: playing in short sessions (30-45 minutes); interest in story; nostalgia; tolerating repetitiveness; tolerating simple mechanics; tolerating bugs; interest in RTS mode
- Player Archetypes:
  - Nostalgic Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and emotional connection to childhood gaming memories
    - Playstyle: Revisiting the game for sentimental enjoyment, less focused on technical optimization
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Strategy-Action Hybrid (buy)
    - Motivation: Unique tactical gameplay combining RTS elements with action combat and squad management
    - Playstyle: Strategic, optimizing stats and commanding troops, often playing on hard difficulty
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Dynasty Warriors
  - Story-Driven Player (buy)
    - Motivation: Engaging story, emotional resolution, and atmospheric music
    - Playstyle: Completionist, exploring side quests and focusing on narrative progression
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: completionist
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Budget Retro Gamer (sale)
    - Motivation: Value for money, retro charm, and affordability compared to modern games
    - Playstyle: Accepting of outdated mechanics, lower expectations, often waiting for sales
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Consistently fun experience (weight 0.89): Overall, the game is described as very good, fun, and enjoyable, with many players expressing strong positive sentiment despite its age.
- Aged well for its time (weight 0.74): Repeated comments note that the graphics and overall gameplay hold up well despite the game's age, being praised for their quality at the time of release.
- Excellent music and story (weight 0.72): The soundtrack and story are consistently praised as standout elements, with the music described as magnificent and the story well-told and satisfying.
- Combat and combos praised (weight 0.63): The combat system is frequently praised for its enjoyable combos, character progression, and similarity to classic Dynasty Warriors gameplay.
- Unique genre blending (weight 0.58): Players highlight the innovative combination of RTS mechanics with action, RPG, and first-person elements, creating a unique genre blend.
- Diverse weapons and characters (weight 0.54): Players appreciate the wide variety of weapons, equipment, and multiple playable characters, each with unique development and combat styles.
- Side quests and RPG depth (weight 0.37): The presence of multiple side quests and in-depth RPG elements like inventory management and merchants adds depth to the gameplay.
- Good value for price (weight 0.21): The game is considered good value for its price, with players noting it is worth the cheap cost.
- Evokes fond memories (weight 0.21): The game evokes warm childhood memories and nostalgia, contributing to its positive reception.
- Explosive arrows appreciated (weight 0.19): A specific gameplay element, explosive arrows, is singled out as enjoyable by multiple players.

Common complaints:
- AI pathfinding is broken (weight 0.97): Units frequently get stuck on buildings, mountains, and other obstacles due to poor AI pathfinding. This leads to frustration as players must constantly micro-manage unit movement.
- Graphics are outdated (weight 0.54): Multiple reviews note that the graphics were subpar even at release and have aged poorly. Visual quality is a common complaint, though not game-breaking.
- Combat is repetitive (weight 0.47): The combat mechanics quickly become monotonous, often devolving into repetitive clicking without strategic depth. This reduces long-term engagement with the game.
- Archers are frustrating enemies (weight 0.39): Enemy archers, especially those with exploding arrows, are described as very annoying because they retreat when approached and frequently interrupt the player. This disrupts combat flow.
- Horse controls are terrible (weight 0.32): The horse controls are widely criticized as unresponsive and frustrating to use. Players advise avoiding horses entirely due to the poor handling.
- Mouse sensitivity is poor (weight 0.22): The mouse controls suffer from sluggishness and stuttering, making precise aiming difficult. This issue can render the game nearly unplayable for some players.
- Camera controls are problematic (weight 0.22): The camera system is poorly designed with awkward viewing angles, hindering navigation and combat. This adds unnecessary difficulty to gameplay.
- Bow is overpowered (weight 0.22): The bow and arrow is considered overpowered and unbalanced, offering an exploitable advantage. This undermines game balance and challenge.
- Game is overpriced (weight 0.22): At its original price, the game is considered not worth the cost due to its age and issues. Players recommend waiting for a sale before purchasing.
- Food supply is limited (weight 0.21): A persistent food shortage makes resource management a constant struggle. This can slow progression and increase frustration.
- Many bugs and glitches (weight 0.21): Numerous bugs affect gameplay including stuck units, soft-locks, and general instability. These issues detract from the overall experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Hybrid RPG and RTS combat (weight 0.7): The game merges role-playing game progression with real-time strategy troop control, allowing players to lead and rally soldiers in battles.
- Multiple camera modes in battles (weight 0.46): The game combines RTS, first-person, and third-person modes, allowing full control of the army in big battles.
- Two distinct playstyles available (weight 0.4): Players can choose between two distinct playstyles: building and commanding an entire army or playing as a solo character rampaging through enemies.
- Character upgrade system with skill tree (weight 0.39): A character development system includes attributes, skill points, a skill tree, and a level cap of 30.
- Action like Dynasty Warriors (weight 0.32): The action component of the game is reminiscent of the Musou series, similar to Dynasty Warriors, offering hack and slash style gameplay.
- Detailed combat and combo system (weight 0.31): Combat includes light and heavy attacks, blocking, dash, energy attacks, and a combo system that can be upgraded to level 10.
- Technical issues with controls and camera (weight 0.3): Technical issues include mouse sensitivity, resolution options, and camera problems in third-person mode affecting user experience.
- RTS mode pathfinding problems (weight 0.3): The RTS mode has notable pathfinding problems and is described as slightly wonky, making troop control less smooth.
- Weapons, armor, and accessories (weight 0.3): Equipment includes weapons, armor, and accessories, with many weapon types but fixed items.
- Explosive arrow mechanic (weight 0.22): The game features a unique explosive arrow mechanic that adds variety to ranged combat.
- Archer hitbox and terrain issues (weight 0.22): Archers have fast movement but suffer from poor hitboxes, and arrows can be blocked by terrain, affecting gameplay effectiveness.
- Nostalgic old game (weight 0.19): Some players find the game nostalgic from childhood, though it is an older title.
- Four playable characters with roles (weight 0.14): Four distinct characters are available: Jeanne d'Arc (balanced), Jean de Metz (ranged), La Hire (tank), and Duke Alencon (polearm specialist).
- Eight lengthy stages (weight 0.14): The game consists of eight huge stages that can take 2-3 hours each to complete, offering extended gameplay sessions.
- Siege mechanics with cannons (weight 0.13): Siege mechanics include using cannons and breaking doors with melee attacks, adding strategic depth to battles.
- Optional mission objectives (weight 0.12): Missions are quest-based with optional objectives, giving players choices in how to approach gameplay.
- Sword upgrade with crosses (weight 0.12): Swords can be upgraded using a mechanic involving crosses, providing a specific progression path.
- Difficult gameplay (weight 0.12): The game is considered difficult by some players, adding to the challenge.
- Mod support available (weight 0.11): Mods are available, potentially extending replayability and customization.

Performance notes:
- Optimization is good (weight 0.15): Users report that the game runs well and is well-optimized on modern systems.
- Compatibility issues on modern systems (weight 0.14): The game has trouble running on newer operating systems, requiring additional tools or settings to function correctly.
- Works fine on Windows 10 (weight 0.14): Some users confirm that the game runs smoothly on Windows 10 without extra tweaks.
- Mouse stutter reported (weight 0.14): Some players experience mouse stuttering, which can affect gameplay responsiveness and comfort.
- dgVoodoo2 enables higher resolution (weight 0.14): Using dgVoodoo2, players can run the game at higher resolutions, improving visual quality.
- Cannot run fullscreen without tools (weight 0.14): The game fails to run in full screen mode on its own, often requiring additional software like dgVoodoo2.
- Full screen and windowed mode issues (weight 0.13): Players encounter problems toggling between full screen and windowed modes, with some modes not working properly.
- dgVoodoo2 causes minor graphic bugs (weight 0.13): While dgVoodoo2 improves resolution, it introduces minor graphical glitches or artifacts.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.89): Many reviewers strongly recommend the game, praising it as a must-play or a classic. This is the most common sentiment across multiple clusters.
- Best bought on sale (weight 0.39): Multiple reviewers recommend purchasing the game at a discount during Steam sales or for a low price. They suggest it is worth it for a single playthrough.
- Good for niche audiences (weight 0.37): Several reviews suggest the game is best for players who enjoy old-school slasher games, RTS/action hybrids, or those seeking nostalgia. It may not suit everyone.
- Not recommended for some (weight 0.3): Some reviewers cannot recommend the game, citing clunky controls or old-fashioned gameplay. This feedback indicates the title may not appeal to modern audiences.
- Expect rough edges (weight 0.28): Some reviewers warn about 'jank', clunky feel, or dated mechanics, advising players to temper expectations. The game is compared to a straight-to-CD movie.
- Give it a chance (weight 0.26): Some reviews encourage players to try the game despite its dated graphics or appearance, suggesting it has hidden value. They emphasize looking past initial impressions.
- Good value for money (weight 0.21): The game is described as very cheap and worth its price, especially for what it offers. Reviewers highlight that it is a good deal despite its flaws.

Other player notes:
- Game lacks engaging feedback (weight 0.15): The clusters mainly contain metadata like item descriptions and cheat code instructions rather than substantive praise or constructive criticism. This suggests the reviews lacked meaningful commentary about gameplay.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.23): Players are frustrated by sponge-like bosses, repetitive combat and dialogue, and poor AI that lets allies block the player or get stuck. Technical issues like mouse stutter, camera struggles, and bad horse controls compound the experience, while the grindy leveling and ineffective attack upgrades make progress feel unrewarding.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.19): The game evokes strong nostalgia as a childhood title, with many players recalling fond memories from years ago, such as playing on a first Windows XP computer or in 2007. Despite its age, the game remains enjoyable and is often revisited to relive positive moments, including memorable mechanics and multiple playthroughs.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.14): Players enjoy the game for its explosive arrows, engaging combat system, and magnificent soundtrack, which together create a fun experience. The storyline and deep gameplay, especially on the hardest difficulty, are praised, and the game continues to bring joy even years later.
- Annoyance (weight 0.12): Annoyance stems from units getting stuck in the environment and allies blocking the player, along with a lack of bulk buy options and a frustrating checkpoint system that causes long mission failures. The soundtrack can become irritating, and text-speech mismatches in dialogue add to the irritation.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Satisfaction comes from playing as Joan of Arc and defeating the English, with a story ending that feels rewarding. Players appreciate the good combat feel, creative RTS mode, and the ability to upgrade weapons like Saint Catherine's cross properly in the Steam version, making the overall experience pleasant despite the game's age.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Disappointment is driven by bad graphics, glitches, and bugs that hinder gameplay, along with a terrible AI and poor auto-save system. The game is seen as simple and repetitive, with mediocre dialogue and a lack of language support, making it feel broken despite its potential.
- Surprise (weight 0.05): Players are surprised to find the game available on Steam at a sale, and that it exceeds expectations despite old graphics. The game's enduring quality compared to expectations is a pleasant discovery.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Joy arises from happily completing the entire game and reliving childhood memories by finding the first game played on a computer. Returning to the game brings a sense of happiness and fulfillment.
- Nostalgic warmth (weight 0.05): Nostalgic warmth is felt through childhood memories of the game, with its medieval France setting evoking familiar feelings despite bugs. The game's ability to bring back fond recollections creates a warm, comforting experience.
- Amazement (weight 0.02): Amazement comes from the fact that the game is over 20 years old yet remains incredible, with players feeling like it's a time machine to their past. The once-difficult game now feels manageable, highlighting its enduring quality.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is fueled by the hope for a remaster of the game, as players look forward to an updated version that could enhance the original experience.
- Inspiration (weight 0.02): Inspiration is drawn from Joan of Arc as a role model for leadership and conviction, with the game's portrayal motivating players in their own lives.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation stems from the game teaching history and personal values, providing an educational and meaningful experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is for the game as a unique and revolutionizing classic, with a high-quality soundtrack composed by genius composers that stands out.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love is expressed for the game's intense gameplay despite old graphics, showing a deep affection for the overall experience.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement comes from overpowered bow and arrow bugs, which create entertaining and unexpected moments during gameplay.
- Nostalgic joy (weight 0.02): Nostalgic joy is found in playing as a nearly invincible badass girl, which is both fun and nostalgic, combining empowerment with fond memories.
- Mild boredom (weight 0.02): Mild boredom arises because the gameplay becomes repetitive after a while, reducing long-term engagement.
- Pleasant surprise (weight 0.02): Pleasant surprise is from the game's nice mechanics, similar to Musou but not as repetitive, yet still difficult, offering a fresh and challenging experience.
- Nostalgic determination (weight 0.02): Nostalgic determination drives players to finish the game despite its flaws, as the emotional connection from childhood provides motivation to overcome obstacles.}