When XCOM: Enemy Unknown released in 2012, it managed to not only rejuvenate the entire XCOM franchise for a modern audience, but also introduce a multitude of new gamers to the turn-based tactics genre. Since XCOM's release, more and more turn-based tactics games have started to rear their heads, and the Epic Games Store's next free game, Fort Triumph, is a pretty good one.
Available from December 1 to December 7, Fort Triumph is the first free game this month on the Epic Games Store. Released in 2020, Fort Triumph takes the turn-based gameplay of XCOM, and expands on it in some fairly unique ways. Swapping out a Sci-Fi setting for a lighthearted medieval one, Fort Triumph is certainly worth trying out for any XCOM fans, especially while it's free.
Fort Triumph is a Great XCOM-Like
Much like XCOM, Fort Triumph's strategy gameplay loop sees a player's squad drop into a procedural map, where they'll need to strategically place their heroes behind cover and take turns attacking the enemy. There are four different classes for the player to choose from -- Barbarians, Paladins, Wizards, and Rangers -- with each having its own unique abilities and skill tree. Successfully defeating enemies and winning an encounter will give the player resources which they can then use to upgrade their base, and level up their squad.
XCOM fans should learn the ropes of Fort Triumph pretty easily, though there are some new features that could surprise even long-time turn-based tactics fans. One of the biggest changes Fort Triumph makes to the XCOM formula is its approach to its mission structure. Unlike XCOM, where key missions are presented to the player at specific intervals and side missions are procedurally generated, the entirety of Fort Triumph's world is procedurally generated. Players are given a randomly-generated world map, and are given free rein over where they go next, with each encounter offering a unique set of objectives, set of enemies, and collection of loot. This approach to mission structure does mean that Fort Triumph is a little less polished than XCOM, but it does add quite a bit of replayability to the game.
One of the other big differences between XCOM and Fort Triumph are the games' two settings. While XCOM is Sci-Fi through and through, with laser and plasma weapons, aliens, UFOs, and high-tech central intelligence agency at its heart, Fort Triumph trades it all in for a bright fantasy theme. It's complete with archetypal fantasy character classes, mystical beasts, dark forests, taverns, caves, and more. Fort Triumph's art direction is also quite different from XCOM's, with more cartoon-y visuals being used.
Though it looks less realistic than XCOM, and its particle effects and lighting aren't as impressive, Fort Triumph's art design suits its fantasy setting, and it goes a long way in maintaining the game's unique tongue-in-cheek tone. Another departure from XCOM, Fort Triumph spends a lot of its runtime parodying the conventions of the fantasy genre, and for the most part, the humor works quite well. Players should expect to hear plenty of self-referential voicelines, tons of background gags and Easter eggs, and a central narrative that pokes a lot of fun at the genre as a whole.
For those that are a little tired of XCOM's darker themes and more harrowing depiction of permadeath, Fort Triumph offers the perfect antithesis while also respecting its influences, with gameplay that still feels responsive and satisfying. All it'll take is a trip to the Epic Games Store.
Fort Triumph is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.