Forge of Empires review - Friend or FOE?

Forge of Empires, there has been a plethora of online browser games before it, so what makes this one so special?

In this review we will be diving into the key points in which makes this such an enjoyable game

Forge of Empires is an online strategy game that takes place in the Medieval Era ( though not stated is assumed due to the structures and all around feel of the game.) In the game you must overcome challenges and quests set for you by the friendly faces of the your town, as well as the hustle and bustle of running your own busy medieval town and hopefully in time a city.

This games target audience is around as young as 12 and can be enjoyed by all walks of life above the age, this game is not an inherently violent one, so can be played at a younger age with parents permission.  

Game play

The general feel of this game is quite a refreshing one, these days with online strategies they have a tendency to be overly complicated with different ways to play, which can be fun as is, but with Forge of empires you get a certain feel as if you're playing one of the classics like Age of Empires or Civilization, Forge of Empires is quite a fast paced game with minimal loading times for objects or buildings as well as search times for battles. All in all the way Forge of Empires runs is an extremely easy one at that.

Structures  
there are many great and small structures players are able to build within the game from compact huts to vast temples, as well as little to no wait times the cost of the buildings are quite favorable, the cost can be as simple as 40 gold and 40 resources, unfortunately the bigger the structure the more costly it will become although in saying that can still be cost effective. Players start with a 16 x 20 square plot to build and advance within, additional land can be purchased throughout the game for a understandable fee, a lot of structures also produce things like gold or resources and in some cases soldiers.

Currency
The main source of money in FOE is gold coins which can be earned through missions and sometimes strenuous tasks, but the harder the quest the more gold the player will be awarded with. One can also fight wars and battles within the vast land and be gifted gold as well as resources for their efforts. Some buildings will also produce gold over time though being in small amounts can still help in every way. Gold cannot be bought with in life money only earned unfortunately, but gamers know the grind of getting the things so should be no trouble, as for diamonds, diamonds are used to speed up the once in a blue moon load time if you can't just wait that extra couple minutes or are in a hurry, fortunately for all diamonds can be purchased from as little as US$4.99 additionally care packages can be purchased for those late to start gamers.

Battles/fighting
Fighting and battling was an extensive part of the 11th century so it is only fitting within the game, players can click on the map button and access the vast wilder-lands of FOE and pick their adversaries at will, though having to progress through certain lands first the players can still choose the general area to attack, the battling style itself is a simple one, players take turns competing against the computer in what seems like a much more fun version of chess, moving withing the allocated areas players can move and destroy the opposing teams army within seconds or minutes depending on your enemies. Buildings that accommodate soldiers such as the longhouse or the barracks can be purchased for a fee within the store and will produce soldiers as well as copious other advancements at the touch of a button, remember the bigger the army the better the chance for victory.

People
Now this paragraph of the review we will be talking about your villagers as well as your in life friends that you would like to challenge and win. There is not much to say about the villagers of your village, just make sure you keep their happiness up, if not your village will begin to lose villagers, and if you ever desire to run a whole metropolis is definitely needed. As for your friends online, you can invite your friends using their username, challenging them to a hearty fight or maybe just visit each others villages for a friendly hello, as well as motivating them or polishing up their city for them using the in-game aid.

Conclusion
In conclusion FOE is an extremely fun game made for most ages, and is also not as addicting to the point of endless play, although you can if you wish FOE is a game you can either play all the time, or maybe just when you're feeling up to running a civilization, in all honesty the whole time this review was being written i did not close the games tab once, the game is a great way to pass the time or even just to get a taste of history.

To all of those wishing for a new game to play look no further than FOE for it truly is a great game, and it's free.