Warhammer Age of Sigmar Realms of Ruin Torrent is an action game developed and published by Frontier Developments. Realms of Ruin draws unmistakable inspiration from the acclaimed Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 released in 2009, yet it misinterprets the game’s adept streamlining as an opportunity for oversimplification. While Dawn of War 2 significantly scaled-down traditional RTS combat, the restrictions on army composition imbued greater significance to decisions made while advancing through the upgrade tree of each faction. The juxtaposition between smaller maps, unit recruitment limitations, and the consequential impact of opting for a Melta or plasma gun-made unit builds critical, with poor choices potentially sealing the fate of your forces within the initial 10 minutes.
In stark opposition, Warhammer Age of Sigmar Realms of Ruin Torrent’s upgrade system fails to inject any tension or strategic planning onto the battlefield. Instead, upgrades manifest as inconspicuous “pick one” enhancements in damage or defense. The frustration escalates due to the crucial yet seemingly insignificant nature of these upgrades, exacerbated by the game’s other inherent flaws.
The combat mechanics borrow an antiquated element from Warhammer’s tabletop game, introducing an incongruous element to the RTS format. Once two units engage in combat, disengagement becomes impossible until one succumbs or strategically retreats, compelling survivors to hasten back to base for healing. Given limited control over unit abilities activation and upgrade choices before entering battle, I discovered a dearth of influence over the battle’s trajectory.
The clash of two armies in Realms of Ruin resembles more of a chaotic tavern brawl at a Renaissance fair than a strategic confrontation, owing to erratic unit pathing causing forces to stumble over each other. Units designated to absorb damage are frequently displaced by their more fragile counterparts racing to the frontline, eager to endure a hammer blow to the face.
Even when the armies manage to persist on the battlefield, the engagements devolve into disorganized masses of gold and green, pummeling each other into oblivion. While some potential for strategic play exists through capturing sites that allow the construction of attribute-boosting towers, prioritizing these over game-winning conquest objectives feels counterproductive. This is mainly due to the exorbitant time required for tower capture, making it more efficient (albeit less enjoyable) to swarm a game-winning objective with a multitude of basic units and enhance them with a character, rather than exploring the diverse capabilities of your faction.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Realms of Ruin Torrent presents a paradox—why invest in upgrades when AI pathing disrupts formations and compromises tactical prowess? Similarly, why prioritize strategy and tactics when influencing combat outcomes remains a challenge? After investing numerous hours in Realms of Ruin, apathy emerged as the prevailing sentiment.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Realms of Ruin Torrent System Requirements
- OS: Windows 7/8/10/11 64bit
- Processor: Intel i5-6600 / AMD Ryzen 5 1400
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 27 GB available space
