Fun, addicting, and requires a lot of your time | Global Launch Review - Infinite Borders

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✨Overview

Infinite Borders takes players into the Three Kingdoms period of Ancient China, offering a strategic blend of MMO city-building, gacha hero collection, and strategic warfare. At last, it was globally released on December 1, 2023, intertwining the rich lore of the Three Kingdoms with addictive gameplay mechanics.

🟩Pros

+Addictive nature of upgrading buildings and conquering neighboring lands +Stays true to the captivating Three Kingdoms premise and feel +In-Depth hero collection and team-building mechanics +Support for a wider range of hardware with its 3D and 2D map settings

🟥Cons

-Overwhelming amount of mechanics at start for new players, but gets better in time -It takes too long to do anything worthwhile in quick sessions -No sound during battle replays ⭐️Score: 7/10

📖Story and Premise

The narrative of Infinite Borders unfolds within the historical backdrop of the Three Kingdoms period in Ancient China. This era, spanning from the late second century to the early third century, and was marked by political turmoil, military conflicts. Players are immersed in the intricacies of a world characterized by power struggles, alliances, and epic battles among warlords vying for supremacy. The premise of Infinite Borders not only serves as a backdrop for the gameplay but also provides an immersive historical experience. 🎨Graphics and Art Style

Infinite Borders has impressive 3D graphics that can easily rival console levels of quality. Real-time weather changes and diverse terrains add dynamism to the game's environment, while Ancient hand-drawn chinese art style enhances character designs, featuring iconic Three Kingdoms heroes like Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Lu Bu. There is an alternative "2D mode" that provides a smoother performance option, while still maintaining aesthetic appeal. 🎮Gameplay

The gameplay revolves around kingdom building and warfare across an expansive land, where players construct and upgrade structures within their city to gather essential resources. Armies form the backbone of the game, and players can recruit armies, assign heroes to lead them, and gradually expand their city and territory. The whole game is set in one expansive map, and your city there is placed with other players, forming its MMO component, where you can also join guilds and sieges together with other players. Unlike traditional city-builders where you can place structure individually, Infinite Borders features monolithic castles with upgrades managed through a research or skill-tree-like system. The addictive nature of upgrading buildings and expanding territories keeps players engaged, aligning with the game's strategic focus. Resource is hard to come by and generated in real-time, so you might have to wait for a few hours or even days to gather enough resources. The same goes for marching armies, constructions, and basically doing anything worthwhile to progress your castle in the game. The mechanics are confusing at first, but they get better in time, especially for beginners that are given massive rewards such as resources and currencies to boost their early game progression. Once it clicks, the whole system becomes somewhat addicting, with the only thing stopping me from playing is the actual need for waiting in real-time. ⚔️Combat

Combat in Infinite Borders is resolved automatically between armies, determined by power and army levels. The strategic element lies in forming and upgrading unique teams of heroes leading their own armies, each with distinct skills and abilities. Gacha mechanics come into play here, as recruiting heroes becomes a vital part of your strategy. Battles are presented and can be replayed in a RTS-style view, although oddly enough there are no sounds during these segments and the system feels very clunky and unfinished. ⏫Progression

Infinite Borders excels in creating an addictive sense of growth and improvement. The constant upgrading of buildings, conquering new lands, and expanding territories contribute to a rewarding progression system. The hero collection aspect adds further depth, with over 300 heroes to recruit. Players can work towards enhancing their teams, unlocking new strategic possibilities, and experimenting with different hero combinations. However, the game's progression is not without its challenges. The stamina system and real-world waiting periods for actions such as construction, research, and troop travel time can test a player's patience. While the slow pace encourages a long-term investment in the game, it may frustrate those looking for quick and rewarding sessions. 💵Monetization

This creates a constant pressure of speeding up things, in either skipping the wait, or the chance of acquiring character. This is where the in-app purchases and pay-to-win elements comes in. In-app purchases can be used for various purposes, including speeding up construction, acquiring heroes, or obtaining in-game advantages. While the game does offer opportunities to earn in-game currency through grinding, the option to spend real money for quicker progression is very enticing. 📊Technical Performance

Infinite Borders is commendable for its dual graphics setting; A visually pleasing 3D graphics, real-time weather changes, and alternative 2D mode for smoother performance on low-end devices. The game manages to maintain a visually engaging experience while accommodating different hardware capabilities. While the game ran adequately on my Snapdragon 888 device, I experienced intense lag when zooming out of the expansive world map. ⚖️Conclusion

Infinite Borders is an intriguing strategy and city-building game that captures the atmosphere of the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. Its addictive nature, empire building mechanics, and in-depth hero collection mechanics make it a compelling choice for players with a fondness for both the MMO strategy genre and it’s three kingdoms historical setting.

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